Appeal to My Humanity - The Immortal Journey
by JessiokaFroka
Summary: Second installment of 'Appeal to My Humanity'. Darcy and Loki enjoy their newly-engaged status until they are torn apart. Fully written and being released one chapter at a time. Tasertricks.
1. Prologue

Un-beta'd.

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Prologue

The sentries trudged down the muddy, rocky mountainside together, keeping a sharp eye out for their target. The partially-repaired Rainbow Bridge and Heimdall's half-finished golden observatory glinted off in the distance when the morning sunlight hit it at the right angle. Their silver armor shined brilliantly in the morning sun, belying the fact that there were no dents or gashes in their perfect ensembles. The sentries had no fear, though; although they were inexperienced, this was a simple mission. They would be back to the castle before breakfast.

"See anything?" the lighter one asked.

"Not yet. Heimdall said it was at the bottom," replied the darker of the two.

"Pray, did you spy the wench Loki swiped for himself? I must learn to trick as well as he if that is what it takes to get such a pretty creature to wear my ring. Or merely lower my standards and pick _any_ Midgardian!" the lighter one said and the pair roared with laughter.

"Yes, well, our liesmith prince was always good at getting what he-"

The darker one stopped as did his friend. They rounded a blind corner just in time to find a large, dark-haired, muscled man loading a purple titan's body onto a large silver metal pad that could easily carry the body along with several others. The guards gaped for only a moment, both trying to quickly remember their full training.

"I demand that you cease at once," the dark sentry ordered, his voice wavering slightly. He drew his pristine sword and took a defensive stance as he had been taught, his partner following suit. The stranger did not slow in the slightest.

"By order of King Thor we are to deliver the body of the Mad Titan, Thanos, to-" started the lighter one but he was cut off – literally. A disembodied sword that had positioned itself in the air behind him separated the Asgardian's head from his shoulders, eliciting a gasp from the other sentry.

"We didn't expect you," a light voice came from the shadows. At first the sentry could only see a green boot, but it slipped easily from the shadow to reveal the most beautiful blonde aesir the Asgardian had ever seen. Her amused and arrogant face was framed by a green headpiece that held back her mass of golden locks and artfully came down the sides of her face. She regarded him for a moment, and after that moment she let an elegant shrug fall from her shoulder.

"There was bound to be a casualty or two," she said, and with a flick of her wrist the other sentry was out of the picture as well, his headless body falling with a heavy thud next to the other.

"It is done, mistress," the large man said after securing Thanos's body to the silver transport pad and stood to await her next command. She stood stock still, her dark green cloak billowing around her frame while she regarded the prize she came for.

"Still breathing. Excellent. We must away," she said, and with a wave of her hand the silver transport pad floated easily up and disappeared along with the mysterious pair.

No one found the sentries' bodies until the next day.

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I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	2. Chapter 1

Un-beta'd.

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Chapter 1

"Shit."

Nick Fury, Jane Foster, and the Avengers watched the portal to Asgard close directly behind Loki and Darcy and the image of Asgard faded. Nick Fury's curse was followed by silence while Jane tried to wrap her head around what she just witnessed. The portal generator powered off with a great heave and all in the room heard a grinding noise; the metal on metal produced a high-pitched squeal that grated on their ears.

"What the hell happened Stark?" Fury asked. The portal generator seized once and was finally silent.

"I have no idea," said Tony. He, Jane Foster, and Bruce Banner began tinkering with the portal generator. Steve Rogers took a seat and watched while the team worked and Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov both nodded once to Nick Fury and left the room.

"With those flickering lights I'd say the power source shorted out," said Bruce.

"It shouldn't have," said Tony, his eyes transfixed on a piece of machinery in his hand.

Jane sighed and threw her hands up in the air. She stepped away from the machine and sat down next to Steve Rogers with her heads in her hands while she thought. Her head was spinning. This couldn't actually be happening. Steve hesitated for a moment and patted her twice on the back while Fury simply stood and watched Stark's progress.

Tony looked up from the metal hunk in his hand, stood, and crossed the room to grab a piece of paper that was covered back and front with furious scribbles. He stared down at the paper disbelievingly and back at the portal generator several times before approaching the portal generator once more and crouching behind it, the clink and clang of gears and metal being rearranged filling the room.

"Here we go," said the voice of Tony from behind the generator and a moment later he popped back up, a look of awe and confusion mixed on his face. Jane's head snapped up in the fleeting hope that the solution would be so quick and simple.

"What is it?" asked Bruce and Jane in unison.

"This little guy," said Tony and he held up a small piece of metal that looked like a piece of pipe with two large holes on either end. "It looks like we're going to need two arc reactors."

"Two," repeated Fury. Bruce and Jane's faces both showed exasperation but hope. Everyone's nerves had been stretched and news that they would have to wait for Stark to make an entirely new arc reactor was not happy news.

"Yep. Two of them. I'm also gonna need to build a capacitor bridge and an energy flow regulator to sustain the constant power that'll flow between the two machines," said Tony. Bruce joined him in inspecting he piece of metal in Tony's hand with a quiet curiosity.

"And that will sustain the power we need so that we should be able to turn this thing on and off at will?" Fury asked with a hint of hopeful suspicion peppering his question.

"Yes," said Jane whose mumbled voice came from his side. Her face was tear-streaked and pale. She was mad at the damn machine, she was mad that she had worked so long for _this_ to have happened, and finally she was mad at herself for crying over something that could definitely be fixed.

"Cap," said Fury, "Why don't you take Dr. Foster home?"

"We'll start on this right away, Jane. We'll have this baby up and running in no time," said Bruce.

"Stay with her, Cap," said Fury lowly so that Jane would not hear him.

Jane nodded and allowed Steve to escort her from the room.

"Is there anything I can do Dr. Foster?" asked Steve.

"No."

They walked in silence through the building and Steve helped Jane into the passenger's seat of his car. Jane watched out the window as the rain splattered against it, numbly registering their path through the city to Jane's house. The walk from the car to the door seemed instantaneous and the next thing Jane knew she was in her bed, fully, clothed, and listening to Steve putter about in her house. She did not know how many hours she lay there listening to the rain fall in random patterns against the roof of the house. She was too tired to think about anything but at the same time her mind wouldn't stop racing. Jane's eyes drifted closed without her knowledge and she slept the hard sleep of the defeated.

Jane awoke with a start to find that the light from her window had darkened completely. She looked around the room dazed and confused until suddenly memory crashed around her like so many violent waves.

She had been so close.

She researched for two years and was standing right in front of Earth's _first confirmed artificial Einstein Rosenbridge_ when it closed. Right in front of her. She was close enough to reach out and touch it and suddenly it was gone. Then there was what she had seen through the portal generator: there was a large golden-clad dead man right at the edge of a glittering rainbow glass floor that seemed to be suspended in the middle of space itself. The panic of what might have happened to him was setting in – was Thor all right? Was Asgard under attack? Was there anything Jane could do even if it was?

Jane arose from her bed and felt the dull, throbbing pain that signified the beginning of a killer migraine. She trudged onward anyway to the bathroom and then to kitchen, where she jumped in shock at the unexpected sight of Steve Rogers sitting at her table reading her childhood copy of _A Brief History of Time_.

"How are you feeling, Dr. Foster?" said Steve and he lowered his book.

"Groggy," replied Jane. She sat across from him at the table and blinked rapidly a few times in a vain effort to expedite the extent of her wakefulness, "And please, call me Jane."

"I'll make you some coffee," said Steve as he stood. He made her a cup quickly and brought it to her in record time, and Jane was thankful to have the hot cup in her hands.

"Thanks Steve. That was fast; seems like you've pretty much got everything from the 21st century down."

"No problem, ma'am. I'm not sure how it happened but coffee makers seem to have actually become _more_ complicated since the 40's. I studied that one for a while while you were resting," said Steve and he took his seat again.

"That's so sweet, Steve. You didn't have to do that," said Jane and she paused. "Speaking of things you don't have to do, you definitely don't need to babysit me. I'm fine."

"I've got my orders, ma'am. Now I'll stay out of your way but I'm posting up here with you."

"Well, thanks for that."

The two sat in an awkward silence and Jane realized that she hardly knew anything about Steve Rogers other than what she had read or heard second-hand. This was the first time she really had an opportunity to talk with him.

"Do you like it here?" she asked.

Steve thought for a moment. "Absolutely. You have a lovely home." Jane let out a snort that some could consider to be laughter. "Not my house, Steve. This time. This world. Are things better here than they were for you back in your time?"

"It's hard to say. Back in my time I had my family and my old friends. Everything was familiar. In this time I almost feel like I'm learning something brand new every day. On the other hand, though, a lot of things have changed for the better. People in general are treated better and are treating one another better, at least in broad daylight. A lot of types of hatred and discrimination aren't accepted anymore, which is how it should have been from the beginning. And don't even get me started on the technology – electric safety shavers are a marvel," said Steve.

Jane gave a small smile while she stared into her coffee.

"Are you feeling okay Jane?"

Jane thought before she spoke, dragging out the silence for one long moment.

"Not really, no. I thought that I was going to go to Asgard today, Steve. I really did. I was excited to see Thor and I was even more excited to see the fruit of my research. I wanted to experience it... I've worked toward this for so many years. I feel like I'm being a big baby over having to wait a couple of more days and I know Tony and Bruce are fixing the power source right now, but I guess I just didn't realize that I was so wound up waiting for it to finally happen," said Jane.

Steve sighed. "Well, like you said, Tony and Bruce will have the arc reactors up and running in a few days and we'll all head to Asgard. I'm sure Thor is excited to see you, too, Jane. We'll all be there soon enough."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I think my aim at this point is to just remain unconscious until then," Jane said and smiled, then added, "I kind of wonder what Darcy's doing right now."

Steve gave her a smile in response.

Jane fished through her purse and pulled out a bottle of Excedrin Migraine. After twisting off the cap and washing down a pill with a swig of coffee, she let him know that she was going back to bed.

"Well I'll be here if you need anything," said Steve.

"Make yourself comfortable," called Jane from her room. Within a few minutes she was asleep again and Steve began to read once more to the symphony of rainfall on the windows.

x

X

x

Darcy Lewis awoke in a warm mass of twisted bedsheets. After a deliciously slow and languid stretch she rolled to her side, propped her head on her elbow, and poked the prince of Asgard in the face.

"Is it really going to be an eternity of this?" Loki mumbled.

"Yep."

"Good."

Loki snaked an arm around his fiancee's waist and pulled her on top of him, eliciting a giggle of surprised delight from her. She lowered her lips to his, relishing in the quiet moment together.

"Did you sleep well?" Loki asked and Darcy flopped off of him and nestled into his side, cuddling into the groove of his body.

"In a bed more massive than a California King, in a bedroom the size of a house, in an ocean full of blankets, next to you? Yeah, I'd say I slept pretty well," she said.

Loki smiled. "What are we doing today?" he asked.

Darcy closed her eyes and groaned.

"Your mom is kind of on my case about wedding planning," she admitted, "she's pretty... persistent."

Loki snorted at her accurate assessment of his queenly mother. With a flick of his lazy wrist the curtains were drawn back, letting the gentle rays of the Asgardian morning sun into the room. They cast a rich golden glow about the ornate chambers, highlighting the gold crown molding and lavish tapestries that adorned the quarters. The lovers squinted and closed their eyes to allow themselves time to adjust.

"Do you not wish to plan our wedding? Does the thought of marriage to me repel you so?" Loki asked jokingly.

"It's not that, it's just boring as hell. We had weddings back home, you know? And I'm on an alien planet! There is so much stuff here that's new to me and I've seen approximately zero percent of it in the four weeks I've been here. I'm excited for our wedding – I am, really, - but I want to explore a bit and see some cool Asgardian stuff," she sighed. Her fingers fiddled with one another while Loki played with a lock of her hair. "I have an idea," she said.

"Hmm?"

"How about _you_ plan our wedding! You'll get to spend time with your mom and I know you're dying to delve into the world of seating arrangements," Darcy said.

Loki grinned at her. "I think not."

Darcy smiled back at him but let out a sigh. "I promise to start wedding planning today if you promise to take me somewhere outside of the castle this week."

"Darcy, I do not wish to hold you prisoner here but remaining inside the castle is for your own protection. Asgardians would think nothing of a bilgesnipe bite but to a mortal it is deadly within minutes. I cannot bear to lose you, my love. Not again," he said. He buried his face into her hair.

She tasted his words for a moment. Her mind danced back to the memory of being skewered by Thanos's icy sword. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Ever since Thor disbursed all of the Infinity Gems back out into the universe you've been acting like my mom. I know I don't have the Time Gem to protect me anymore, but I have to _live_, Loki. Which brings me to the elephant in the room," she started. Loki gave a quizzical look at the curious turn of phrase, but Darcy pressed on. "How do we deal with out little... incompatibility? I can't stay locked in a tower forever and it's not like I'm getting any less human over here, O Immortal One."

Loki regarded her while a quirk tugged at his lips.

"What?" she asked at his amused look.

"How much do you know about weddings?"

"I just kind of figured that they're like Earth weddings, I guess," she said, and thought for a moment. "Well actually, not all Earth weddings are the same now that I think about it," she said. Loki smiled.

"Asgardian weddings are very much like the weddings I would catch a glimpse of on the television back on Midgard, with one glaring difference. The pair seals their vows with a bite from one of Idun's golden apples. In a normal Asgardian wedding it is more symbolic than anything – it signifies renewal of life in the couple to ensure that their marriage will last until the next harvest. This is why it is considered to only be symbolic – both participants of a wedding here are usually already aesir. When you take a bite you will become as indestructible as the rest of us, and you shall partake in the apples every year after to ensure that your life continues," he said.

Darcy was lost in thought. Immortality? Was it something she actually wanted?

"Can I die after I've had an apple?" she asked finally.

"Oh yes. Just don't partake for one harvest and you will find that you wound more easily over time. You'll even fall ill," Loki said with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, that sounds highly amusing," she said, "but as long as I'm not forced to live forever and ever that's OK. The idea of existing _forever_ is horrifying, actually. When were you planning on telling me this?"

"When you asked."

Darcy let out an exasperated sigh. "I fully expect to go somewhere outside of the castle _soon_," she said, untangling herself from his embrace and raising herself to a sitting position on the edge of the massive bed. The think, soft comforter fell to her waist and she held the thin sheet around her bare form.

"Where do you think you're going?" Loki asked, and with a sly grin he pulled her back to him. She allowed herself to be seized, laying back on his chest with a contended smile.

"It'll always be like this," Darcy said. Loki kissed the top of her head and stared into nothingness, absentmindedly rubbing one of her arms slowly.

"I hope so," he replied finally.

Silent seconds turned to minutes and silent minutes turned into hours. By the time the pair awoke again the sun was high in the sky. Darcy kissed Loki goodbye before silently slipping on her clothing and making her way back to her own chambers. While the two of them sleeping together did not appear to be frowned upon, she wasn't taking any chances and did not want to end up on the queen's bad side. Although Frigga seemed laid back and even downright cool sometimes, Darcy was still getting a feel for her future mother-in-law's personality.

Darcy opened the door to her room to find that the curtains were drawn back already by one of her assigned chambermaids and her clothes were laid out for her. Today's dress was a white chiffon dream with artful gold swirls for trim at the top. It allowed for one bare arm and one fully-sleeved arm with the same golden trim at the cuff. A single layer of sheer fabric showed off her legs while maintaining an air of modesty. A matching gold headpiece with the same gold swirls sat atop the dress, looking up at her with all the quiet curiosity a headpiece could have, really.

Darcy ignored the garment and crossed the room to the magnificent bathtub by the large, open window. Her room was at the top of one of Castle Asgard's tallest towers so she did not fear unwelcome eyes and she loved the view of the misty waterfall that trickled down one of Asgard's tallest mountains. Darcy submerged herself in the bath that had been drawn for her hours ago. No one could explain to her clearly why the water didn't get cold (and she didn't care, really, as long as the water continued to stay warm), and she was all but used to the small daily miracles in this realm by now.

She swirled a lazy hand in the water and pondered her predicament. How the hell did she end up _here_? Two years ago Darcy Lewis would have laughed in your face if you had told her that she would be engaged by now. Throw in an alien prince and quasi-immortality and forget about it. She wouldn't call it a dream come true by any means – exciting yes, but not quite dreamlike. However, there was perfection in her life's flawed puzzle pieces: her conflicted fiance was passionate, brilliant, and headstrong; her friends were loyal, intelligent, and always game for a laugh.

And she was going to be a princess.

"Fucking gag," she murmured aloud, allowing her head to dip below the water. Princess was never her goal and it looked like it was going to be even more difficult than she thought. Darcy was coming to find that even a princess-in-training has endlessly busy days with hardly a moment alone. She came up for air and opened her eyes, screaming at the sight of her chambermaid who had appeared at the foot of the bathtub.

"Hair time?" Darcy asked after breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yes, my lady. Hair time," the maid replied.

"Ooh, sassy today," Darcy said, allowing herself to be helped from the water. "How's your morning going, Inga?"

"Wondrously, my lady; I get to serve you," she said, running a towel through Darcy's brown mane.

"You know, I can never tell if you're being extremely nice or deliciously sarcastic, Inga," Darcy said. She was led to she short-backed chair in front of an enormous golden vanity. Inga gave her a kindly smile from the mirror while Inga ran her hands through Darcy's hair, using a light heating spell to dry her wet locks. Darcy closed her eyes and let Inga work her magic. This was definitely one of the perks of being almost-royalty even though being camera-ready every single day was becoming tiresome.

When her hair was styled and she was dressed, she headed back to Loki's chambers to find that he was already gone. She made her way to the dining hall and found Thor and Loki seated together at the table sharing a rare laugh.

"Hey dude," Darcy said. Both brothers rose from their chairs and waited for Darcy to be seated before sitting back down themselves. Darcy rolled her eyes at the ridiculous propriety.

"Lady Darcy, Asgardian fashion suits you. I trust this morning finds you well," said Thor. He was working on monstrous plate of eggs, sausage, bacon, and some other kind of meat that Darcy couldn't identify.

"Yep, can't complain," she said, leaning over to see what Loki had chosen for his morning meal. Fruit and something that looked like oatmeal. She decided to try it and motioned for a servant to come take her order. After the servant left to go fetch Darcy's breakfast, she turned back to the brothers.

"I don't know how you two ever got used to this. Isn't it weird having people wait on you hand and foot?" she asked.

Thor gave a happy shrug. "We are used to it, Lady Darcy. We grew up here. And when you become Princess of Asgard you will have so much to fill your days you will find that our wonderful servants will become a welcome sight indeed." "Speaking of filling my days," she replied, noting that Loki's eyes darted to her and he stopped chewing, "I would love to spend _today_ exploring your city, or maybe a lake or something? The castle is nice and all, but I'd like to see more."

"That's a wonderful idea, Lady Darcy. I shall send for the horses at once," Thor agreed, motioning for a servant to come to him.

"No," said Loki. The smile on Thor's face froze.

"Brother, you cannot keep her in here fore-"

"I don't intend to, brother," Loki spat, "But she cannot be outside the palace walls before we are married. Without the proper protection _anything_ could kill her."

Darcy and Thor exchanged a knowing glance.

"So with the proper protection you wouldn't have a problem with me going out?" asked Darcy.

"Well yes, but-" "Then it is settled!" Thor said with a hearty grin. "You and I shall accompany Lady Darcy to the Flagsylph Forest when we are done dining." "Ooh, the Flagsylph Forest! Sounds fancy," Darcy said. The servant set her breakfast before her and she thanked him before she dug in.

Loki was silent for only a moment.

"The forest would be an acceptable location and you and I can hold our own there," Loki said, and continued before Thor or Darcy could interrupt, "but we need more hands and eyes to aid us. We shall also bring Lady Sif and the warriors-three."

Darcy smiled through a bite of something that looked like a lemon but tasted like kiwifruit.

"Sweet! Thanks babe," said Darcy.

"Why do I feel as though you would have gone regardless?" he asked, leaning over for a kiss.

"Because I would have," said Darcy, giving him a quick peck before returning to her meal.

The trio finished dining and Darcy was headed back to her chambers with Loki on her arm when they met Queen Frigga in the hallway.

"Mother," Loki greeted.

"Loki, Lady Darcy," Frigga said, "I have arranged for the florist to see us today."

Darcy opened her mouth to respond but Loki beat her to it.

"Darcy and I shall join Thor, Sif, and the warriors-three on an outing to the Flagsylph Forest this morning. Might the florist wait for later this afternoon?"

The queen took a moment to register what she had heard. "Am I hearing that you and _your brother_ are taking Lady Darcy _outside_ of the palace? Of course the florist can wait," said Frigga and she smiled kindly at her son and his future wife.

"I'm looking forward to this afternoon with you, Frigga," Darcy said with a smile that was not as forced as she had anticipated.

"And I as well. Enjoy yourselves today." Loki and Darcy continued toward their rooms and parted ways in the hallway. The wide double doors to Darcy's chambers were already open and appropriate clothing for her trip to the forest was laid out on her bed.

"This place is like Hogwarts," she said to herself, closing the doors and quickly getting dressed. A few minutes later she met Loki in the hallway and together they made their way to the stables, ignoring the shifting eyes from the palace residents and servants between Loki's head and down to hers along the way. It was a big difference between Darcy's short stature and Loki's tall one. Darcy was already used to the average Asgardian's height, but they were not at all used to hers yet. That paired with her hand entwined with Evil Prince Loki's drew more attention than Darcy was used to, but she was growing accustomed to it.

Thor, Sif, and the warriors-three awaited them when they reached the stables. Loki helped her onto her horse, a jet-black mare that Darcy named Domino for the white spot in the middle of her forehead. Sif and the warriors-three rode in the front, Thor and Loki took up the rear, and Darcy stayed somewhat in the middle, quickening and lagging at random intervals. Domino was not yet used to the princess-to-be.

They rode slowly through the city to get to the forest and Darcy did not mind the leisurely pace at all. The city alone was beautiful and curious, and its citizens came out of their homes to see the royalty and royalty-to-be ride by. Their homes were small and clean, and the roads in this part of the city were paved with a kind of glittering cobblestone. Darcy was so distracted by all of the new sights that she almost did not notice that the homes were getting fewer and farther between, and the cobblestone road had ended.

Darcy looked around to find that sparse trees had taken the place of the cityscape, and she could see that the trees were thicker further down the beaten trail. The trees themselves were enormous, comparable to a California Redwood. The colors of their leaves were brilliant and complemented the stark white of the papery bark on their trunks. Pinks, blues, and yellows adorned the foliage of the Flagsylph Forest and Darcy breathed out a sigh of awe.

"A sight to behold, is it not? Fandral said, pulling his steed next to hers.

"It's pretty. I've never seen these kinds of colors on trees."

"Asgard's autumn is a bit different from Midgard's but your basic principle of the changing seasons is the same," Sif called behind her back.

"Loki and I know every part of this forest, Lady Darcy. We spent whole summers hiding in the trees and pretending to fight Jotuns," Thor reminisced. Loki shot him a hard look that Darcy missed completely.

"Indeed. The princes spent much time here, as did we," Sif explained, motioning to the warriors-three. "I learned the ways of the sword with the boys in these very clearings. Always in secret, though," she added.

"You know I've never understood that, Sif," said Darcy. She rode faster to catch up to the warrior.

"Understood what, Lady Darcy?"

"Why you guys are called 'Lady Sif and the Warriors-Three'. Why aren't you guys just called 'The Warriors-Four?"

"Because apparently this realm has not quite caught up with yours in the area of gender equality. To the citizens of Asgard I will always be a female first, and an odd warrior second," Sif said, ignoring a snort from Fandral.

"That is not true, Sif," Volstagg said.

"Is so." "Is not." "Sif, you are a fine warrior. A great many of our army look up to you and respect you for your fierceness. They think you too beautiful to tell you to that your face," Hogun interjected. Darcy had forgotten he was there, the warrior was usually as silent as glassy waters. Sif said nothing.

"Yeah, well, I'm calling you guys the Warriors-Four from now on, so there," said Darcy.

Volstagg changed the subject and began explaining the flora and fauna of the forest to Darcy as new things popped up that she remarked upon. She learned that a rabbit with three ears is called a Pannjack, but one with four ears is called dinner.

"Poisonous as a serpent, those three-eared ones," Volstagg told her, "Almost lost my arm to one."

They reached a large clearing and the Asgardians dismounted at once. Darcy looked around, slightly confused about why they had stopped so suddenly, and took Loki's hand when he offered it to help her down. She definitely needed the help.

"What are we doing?" Darcy asked.

"Sword fighting," Loki said. "It's how we passed the time when we were young.

"It's how _we_ passed the time when we were young. Our silver-tongued prince spent his time off in a corner, practicing his sorcery," Fandral said.

The group laughed, and even Loki let out a quiet hint of laughter.

"And it has served me well, has it not?" Loki asked. A moment later he held a ball of fire in his hand and launched it at the blonde Asgardian, missing his face by centimeters, eliciting a louder roar of laughter from the rest of the group.

"Save it for the battlefield," Sif called. She drew her sword and pointed it playfully at Thor, "Shall we?"

"Are you certain, Lady Sif?" Thor asked, a smile spreading across his face, "You know how badly I beat you the last time."

"Them's fightin' words, Sif," Darcy called, "Get him!"

Sif and Thor took the center of the field, dancing circles around one another, each waiting for the other to strike first. Loki and Darcy seated themselves next to one another to watch, Loki's arm wrapped around Darcy's shoulders. Hogun and Volstagg stood on either side of the lovers, waiting, but for what Darcy did not know.

Thor struck first. He feigned left and Sif did not fall for his trick, landing a blow to his shoulder. Thor roared with pain or laughter, Darcy could not tell, and kept circling Sif. He began to twirl Mjolnir and threw it directly at Sif's midsection which Sif narrowly avoided. Ina few seconds Sif jumped through the air, sword drawn, directly at Thor and he side-stepped her easily. Only a fleeting moment went by and Darcy realized that Sif was going to land – hard – right on top of Loki and her. Loki did not flinch or try to move them out of harm's way at all - Hogun and Volstagg caught Sif before she could reach the lovers.

Thor threw Mjolnir without holding back, catching Sif on her ankle. She let out a sharp cry of pain and rotated toward him, landing a harsh blow on the same shoulder as before. Thor dropped Mjolnir involuntarily and cried out, "Yield!"

"Never!" Sif laughed, placing her weight on her uninjured ankle. In a show of good form she dropped her sword and shield so that they would remain evenly matched. The two were a flurry of fists in no time, each landing hard punches that caused Darcy to gasp aloud.

"Oh my god, they're going to kill each other," Darcy said to Loki and he grinned.

"They nearly did, once, but they can both handle this. In fact..." Loki let his voice trail off as he stood, walking toward the dueling pair. He conjured a fireball in each hand and threw them at the dueling friends. He circled them quickly, throwing fireball after fireball at them, causing greater difficulty for both. Thor and Sif dodged the magic as they continued to pummel one another and attempted to deflect one another's fists. After only a few moments Sif delivered a perfect roundhouse kick straight to the side of Thor's head, and to Darcy's great surprise they both started laughing.

"I yield!" Thor called, blood trickling from a gash in his forehead. Loki stopped the fireballs but Sif landed one more punch to Thor's arm. "Woman I said I yield!"

Sif and Thor collapsed to the ground, both out of breath, both laughing, and soon the rest of the group was laughing along with them.

"Just like old times," Thor said, sitting up. Sif let out a sigh of agreement and Darcy and the other Asgardians clapped for the pair's entertaining show.

"Volstagg! Food!" Sif ordered and everyone made a collective noise of approval at this idea. Volstagg fetched a lunch of bread, cheeses, fruit, and mead from the saddlebags of the horses and returned. The friends took seats in a circle, talking, eating, and laughing.

"How did you two meet? Volstagg asked, a chunk of bread in one hand and a chunk of cheese in the other.

Loki and Darcy looked at one another to determine which of them was going to answer. They silently decided that Darcy would.

"Big bad over here was put in SHIELD's time-out chair, also known as mine and Jane's lab. We spent a lot of time together, I found out that he wasn't such a bad guy after all, and here we are," she told them.

Fandral chimed in. "We thought he would never find a wife given his-" Fandral started, but Sif kicked him to keep him from finishing. Loki's eyes widened and he paled. Darcy's face shot back and forth between Loki's and Fandral's.

"What?" she asked.

"What?" Fandral responded.

"He would never find a wife given his what?"

An awkward silence ravaged the clearing, Loki's seething rage bubbling just below the surface of his skin was evident to everyone present.

"Babe, whatever it is, I don't care. I mean you destroyed New York City for god's sake, I think I've shown that I'm a pretty understanding person," Darcy said to Loki, and his rage seemed to subside slightly. She rubbed a hand over his hand and the other Asgardians shot venomous looks at Fandral. "You know, as long as it's not space herpes."

Loki ignored her last statement. "My _friends _here thought that I would never find a wife here on Asgard because of my true parentage," Loki said. He gave her a look as though he was waiting for the hammer to fall. She was going to leave him for certain.

"True parentage? You mean you're adopted?" Darcy asked. The warriors-three exchanged nervous looks and Sif and Thor both looked pensive.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I am not Asgardian by lineage. I am of Jotunheim," Loki breathed out shakily. Darcy was waiting for him to continue, and spoke when she realized that that was the punch line.

"I don't understand. This seems to be a really big deal to you guys, I guess?" asked Darcy.

"There is nothing the matter, Lady Darcy," Thor said, "Loki is our family and that is all that is important."

"Were you going to wait to tell her when you two were married?" Fandral asked, the sneer in his voice practically palpable.

"It never came up!" Loki snapped.

"I'm starting to get pissed, you guys. No one's telling me what this means," said Darcy. She leaned back against a log and crossed her arms.

"It means-" Fandral started, but Sif whacked him with her sword.

"This is what it means," Loki said, and he closed his eyes. Slowly his skin darkened to a deep shade of crystalline blue. Deep ridged lines appeared all over his skin and when he opened their eyes they were a brilliant scarlet. Loki waited for Darcy to scream but she just looked him over.

"That's it?" she said at last. Thor let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding and even Hogun seemed to relax a little.

"What?" Loki blinked.

"Seriously? You're blue? That's your big earth-shattering secret?" she said. Darcy heard Thor let out an involuntary giggle from her left and she heard another whack from Sif's sword.

"You don't understand, Darcy. I am a monster to these people. I am the scary thing in the dark. I-"

"-am Batman?" Darcy asked, clearly both amused and unimpressed.

Thor let out a belly laugh. "I told you she would not run screaming when you revealed it to her, brother," Thor laughed, breaking the last bit of tension that remained.

"Why would I? You're blue! Who cares?" said Darcy.

"It is a bit more than my skin just being a different shade, Darcy," said Loki, "Touch my skin."

Darcy reached out and trailed her fingers lightly up Loki's arm. He felt cool, not cold; the skin itself had taken on a tougher texture.

"Neat," was all she said. Loki's hardened face softened and he concentrated on changing his skin back to its previous color.

"See ? Your story is written in the stars, you and Loki were meant to find one another," said Thor and Darcy smiled.

"That is the first time I have witnessed Loki show his Jotun form," Volstagg said, "It was not bad."

"It was not," Sif agreed.

"Yes, indeed my Jotun form is something akin to a delicate newborn babe," Loki said, "Shall we start for the castle? I know a queen who will not be pleased if the future princess is late for her appointment with the wedding florist."

"Indeed. Our mother can be a formidable woman when she sets her mind to it," said Thor.

Darcy let out an involuntary groan and stood with the rest of them, brushing off her brown riding pants. She allowed Loki to help her mount her mare and they kept a leisurely pace back to the palace.

"Sif," Darcy said while they were somewhere in the city, "I want to fight like you."

Sif slowed her steed's pace and pulled next to Darcy's. "Indeed?"

"I do," Darcy said, "You kicked ass today. I want to be able to do that, too."

"Then your training begins tomorrow. Meet me on the sparring grounds at sunrise, and be well fed when you come," Sif said.

"Yes ma'am," said Darcy.

By the time they reached Castle Asgard Darcy was ready for a nap and a shower, but the queen and florist were ready to receive her the instant she entered the castle.

Loki and Darcy parted ways; Loki left her with a sympathetic look and Darcy marched over to the florist who had set up a table with different arrangements prepared. Loki did not envy his fiancee this chore.

Loki went to his chambers to pass the time Darcy would spend planning their wedding. The sooner they were married the better – the stress of worrying about her mortal safety was beginning to take its toll on him. He lay down on his bed after removing his boots and shut his eyes for what seemed only to be a moment, he opened them again to find that the sun was now setting. He lay there for a few peaceful minutes, allowing himself time to awaken before rising, dressing, and setting out to find Darcy.

His journey ended almost as soon as it began; Darcy was in her chambers and he found that she had followed his suit by taking an afternoon nap of her own to recharge. He considered awakening her but decided against it, choosing instead to let her sleep in peace.

Loki wandered the castle with no focus, no aim. He drank in the sight of the setting sun through the large windows, noting that this sunset seemed more beautiful than others he had seen before. It held strokes of brilliant pink, midnight blue, and vibrant orange. Or perhaps it had been so long since he really _looked_ at a sunset that he simply could not remember.

Loki headed to the large balcony on the west side of the castle to get the best view of the last remaining minutes of the setting sun. When he arrived he found that he would not be alone – Thor was there already, leaning on the stone balcony railing, lost in thought. Loki considered turning around and leaving right then but it was no use, Thor had already heard him.

"Brother," Thor greeted quietly.

"Thor," Loki responded. He took a seat on the stone bench and stared out at the horizon.

"You are lucky to have Lady Darcy, Loki. Words do injustice to how I truly feel about you finding one another," Thor said.

Loki hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. "And what of you and Jane?" he reciprocated.

Thor sighed and his eyes met with a memory that was far away. "I miss her daily. I was envious of you when I sent you to Midgard, if you can believe that. Heimdall informed us of what you were doing to pass the time and when I discovered that you were spending your days with Jane I am ashamed to admit that I worried," said Thor.

"You worried?"

"Aye. You have spent much more time with her than I have. I found myself thinking, what would a woman like Jane find in me anyway? She is not like other women – a kingdom and wealth would not win her. She is wise one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. I worried that enough time with you would reveal that you could challenge her intellectually and she would lose interest in me."

Loki was stunned and thought over his response carefully. Was Thor really going to force him to have this conversation? He stole a glance at Thor and his brother's anguished visage tugged at heartstrings Loki did not know he still had for him.

"Worry not, Thor," Loki said, taking pity on him.

Thor remained silent, waiting for Loki to continue. Loki quietly searched for his next words.

"Jane's heart is yours and her devotion to you is true. And I must say that she is an excellent mate for you – she will balance you and you will balance her in turn. I have not the faintest idea why she would choose you either, Thor," Loki said only half-jokingly, "Of course, I have never understood why women throw themselves at you."

Thor smiled, a single tear falling from his eye. "Yes, well, I know what Darcy sees in you. When first I met her the thought that you two could even be compatible never occurred to me, but I am joyous that your fates are intertwined. If mother had not foreseen it I am not certain you and Lady Darcy would have ever met."

There was a long silence, and then Loki's dangerously quiet voice responded.

"Once more, Thor?"

Thor froze at the tone of Loki's voice. "I am joyous at your union?" he offered.

"After that."

The blonde Odinson was silent, searching in vain for a way out of the situation. When he could not find one, he gave in with a heavy sigh. "Mother foresaw yours and Lady Darcy's meeting," Thor told him finally.

"That is what I thought I heard," said Loki. He fluidly rose and stormed back inside the castle, a man on a mission.

"Loki!" Thor called after him. He was immediately ignored and Thor decided against running after his brother. When his mind was made up Loki was as stubborn as Odin.

Loki seethed quietly, darkly, while he searched the palace. He grew more impatient with each step and could not find his mother anywhere. He came upon a group of servants conversing with one another who became quiet at his approach.

"My queen mother, where is she?" Loki demanded.

"Sh- she is with King Odin in his sleeping chambers," replied one.

Loki nodded his acknowledgment and made his way to Odin's sleeping room to find his mother by his side, reading to him out of an ancient tome. She raised her head in greeting as Loki entered.

"Might I have a word?" asked Loki.

"Of course, my son," said Frigga, setting the book on the bed next to the sleeping form of her husband.

Loki offered his hand and she took it, rising from her plush chair, and allowed him to lead her to her private sitting room that was off the one side of Odin's sleeping room.

"What is it, Loki?" she asked. Loki paused and sat with her on one of the fainting couches that decorated the room.

"Is it true that you sent me to Midgard to meet Darcy?"

The smile on Frigga's face slowly faded to a faint smirk, but the mischievous twinkle in her eye did not dim even slightly.

"It is true that I looked into the future of every mortal that Thor met when your father banished him there, yes, Loki. I did not even dream that I would find you in Lady Darcy's future," she told him. She allowed him time to process her words. "I saw you happy, my son. I saw you loved, and loving another so selflessly that it nearly left me breathless. I saw-"

"No more."

Frigga was silent, trying in vain to read her son.

"I wish to hear no more. Only know that while I feel quite manipulated- no, do not speak, mother- while I was manipulated, for the first time in my many years I am grateful for your sight beyond sight. But I wish to know no more of it. Let mine and Darcy's lives play out as they should henceforth."

"That I shall," Frigga said, her easy smile falling back into place like a well-loved sweater on a winter's day. "I can only read her future while she is still mortal, my son. The sooner you are wed the sooner you can guarantee that I can not meddle."

"I request, respectfully, that you do not meddle, do not use your sight beyond sight to look into her fate any longer. No matter what happens. Swear to me," Loki said.

His mother looked away.

"Swear it. Please," said Loki.

Frigga gave a sigh of defeat. "I swear it, Loki. I will not look into Darcy's mortal fate ever again."

"Thank you. My bride-to-be cannot sleep all evening. I shall retrieve her for our evening meal," said Loki. With that he rose and left the room.

Frigga looked after him, a worried expression etched into the lines of her elegant face.

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Thanks for reading the first chapter. Please favorite, follow, and review if you are so inclined.

I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	3. Chapter 2

I need to make it clear that this story is **not compatible with Thor 2.** Just like the original 'Appeal to My Humanity', this story line only follows the events after Thor 1 and The Avengers - nothing later. So anything we've learned about any of the characters in Thor 2 will not apply in this sequel. I wanted to let you guys know before there is any confusion.

Unbeta'd.

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"So... this has taken a lot longer than a few days. Its been a month now, guys," Nick Fury said as he entered the lab, staring at the trio's backs. Neither Tony, Bruce, or Jane so much as glanced up at the director; they were all looking at the same computer screen, studying a model of the portal generator.

"Tell me about it," said Jane.

"The energy flow regulator is what's holding it up, Director Fury," said Bruce as he turned around to face the director. "Each one we try doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold onto the power of the current. The problem with that is that when we test them they burn out-"

"-or explode," said Tony.

"-or explode," agreed Bruce. "Working on the problem as fast as we can."

"I'm certain you are. Keep me updated," said Fury. His scrutinizing eye swept around the room for a moment before he turned and as he exited the lab.

Jane sighed. "If I get to Asgard and that Bifrost is already fixed, I'm going to kill Thor."

Bruce and Tony glanced at one another over Jane's head but said nothing. Instead the trio continued to work into the night just as they had for weeks.

x

X

x

Darcy noticed a shift in Loki's demeanor all evening but could not tell what had changed. Was he happy? Upset? He sat rigidly next to her at dinner, more silent than usual, but she paid him no mind. Reformed or not he could be one of the most moody, brooding people she had ever met and she wasn't about to set a habit of her putting up with his bullshit.

"I hear that you will be joining Lady Sif on the training grounds tomorrow," Thor said. Every Asgardian within earshot was suddenly listening, which was practically the entire dining hall considering Thor's boisterously loud voice carried well.

"Yep," said Darcy, her eyes glanced to Loki quickly and then immediately back to Thor, "She gave you a run for your money back in the forest today. I would love to see what she can teach me.

Fandral raised a glass towards Darcy. "A toast to our new princess, who is braver than us all," he said with a flashing grin.

"Hear, hear," Volstagg said and the two drank from their tankards deeply. Darcy laughed.

"I'm starting to think I bit off more than I can chew," Darcy said, taking a small sip of her own Asgardian Ale.

"You will have if you do not show up on time tomorrow morning, Lady Darcy. Princess or no you shall be treated like any new recruit," Sif warned her.

"Awesome," said Darcy, "I wouldn't want you to take it easy on me."

"She would do well to take it easy on you, darling, if she knows what is good for her," Loki said, and Darcy dropped her fork on her plate with a loud clatter. The noise in their immediate vicinity ceased. Darcy did not utter a word as she stared at him, her anger apparent.

"What?" he asked.

She said nothing as she rose from her chair and left the dining hall. Loki and the rest of those present watched her exit and Loki turned to Thor.

"What? What did I say?"

"I am not certain," Thor said.

"You insulted her," Sif told him.

"I did not."  
"You did," said Hogun. "You questioned her ability publicly."

Loki rose immediately and marched after her. As he exited the dining all he could hear shouts of laughter follow him- "He's in for it now!" called some unknown Asgardian and Loki sneered no one in particular.

Loki found Darcy in her chambers standing on the balcony and staring out at the night sky. Her face was flushed but she did not appear to have been crying, much to his relief.

"Darcy?"

She instantly tensed and turned away slightly from him, remaining silent.

"Darcy, I apologize," Loki started, "I did not realize-"  
"Loki, do you have any idea how hard it is for me here?"

Loki was frozen in place for a moment, his mind blank rather than actually thinking about how he would reply. He regained his composure quickly.

"Yes, I imagine it must be awful having to be waited on hand and foot after a lifetime of doing things for yourself," Loki sneered, instantly defensive. Darcy whirled around to face him.

"That's not what I meant at all, you jerk. That part can be pretty rad sometimes, but I'm talking about you protecting me constantly. It's sweet, it really is, and I get where you're coming from, I really do, but it's getting to be too much. We all went to the forest today and it was the first time I'd been outside of these walls in a _month_. Nothing happened! Nothing! I'm still alive, dammit!" Darcy's volume rose, "Have you ever considered that me just being here in Asgard has been a bit of culture shock to me? I'm still getting used to things and people are are _just_ starting to really accept me. Do you really think Sif is going to break bones or accidentally kill me if she sneezes too hard?"

"Yes," Loki answered simply.

"Yes," Darcy repeated, rolling the word around on her tongue with distaste.

"Lady Sif is a fierce woman and can lose herself in the heat of battle. I cannot think of a time when she ever fought a mortal, let alone a female mortal. Her judgment of what your body can safely withstand is what I have called into question, not your ability to withstand it," said Loki.

"That's not what it sounded like to me," Darcy said, and she crossed her arms and leaned against the heavy stone railing of the balcony, looking away from him into the night sky.

"I apologize again," Loki said and he wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest but her arms remained crossed. "I believe I understand better than anyone the 'culture shock' you're going through, darling. You have integrated beautifully and with more grace than anyone could have wished. You are to be their princess and you will make a fine one. I just worry about you. You're... fragile."  
"I'm still pissed at you."

"Of course you are, love. I promise to attempt to stop myself from telling you what to do as long as you promise to be careful," Loki smiled and Darcy draped her arms around his waist.

"Like you could tell me what to do," she teased.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

One moment Darcy was standing with Loki's arms wrapped around her, the next moment she found herself lifted into the air over his shoulder and she let out a surprised squeal of surprised delight. Loki tossed her unceremoniously to the bed and landed atop her, kissing and nipping at her neck and collar bones. Darcy let out a small moan.

"I'm still pissed at you."

Loki moved one strong hand down her body, caressing her legs and bringing it back up to tease her inner thighs. His kisses never ceased.

"We will have to amend that," he breathed and slipped his hand up her skirt.

Darcy closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair, her heat rising. Loki continued to work her neck until she not-so-gently guided his head up to hers and allowed him to claim her mouth. She moved her fingers to start working through the many layers of leather he wore and she felt his fingers reach her panties, playing at their hem. She worked faster, knowing that she would be all but useless once he began to work his magic on her heat.

Loki shifted his weight, moving to crouch on his knees to get a better angle and never once broke their kiss. He hovered above her and let his wandering hand linger, only for a moment, before allowing them to delve into her slick folds. Darcy shuddered at his touch that had become so attuned to her body – Loki knew exactly what she wanted and what she did not want and knew precisely how long to tease her.

Darcy could tell by his maddening pace that there was going to a lot of teasing this evening.

She tried to concentrate on working past the numerous buckles and straps that adorned his ensemble but found that she simply could not. Instead she lay back and moaned into his ear, letting him pleasure her.

"Keep working," Loki ordered, his voice thick with his own need. But he would not go easy on his mortal love this night.

Darcy opened her eyes, her pupils dilated, and did not try to argue. One strap was undone – Loki worked his fingers faster. One more buckle came loose – Loki responded but plunging two long fingers into her, eliciting an involuntary gasp from her. She froze only momentarily before her mind snapped back to the task at hand- removing all that damn leather. He let out a a deep, throaty chuckle at her plight as she rocked herself into his fingers. She was finally able to remove his leather duster and tunic; she immediately began working at his trousers, noting with satisfaction the bulge awaiting her.

Loki worked her faster, increasing the rhythm and intentionally attempting to distract her from her work. She spread her legs wantonly and finally freed him from his trousers, running one hand up and down his length. She brought her other hand to his face and pulled him down for another crushing kiss, feeling him moan into her mouth. Her breathing came faster and faster and Loki without warning withdrew himself from her.

"More," Darcy breathed, frustrated that he would bring her so close to the brink and leave her stranded.

"No," Loki said, his teasing, hungry eyes belying his need.

"More," Darcy demanded again and she wiggled out from underneath him, pulling off her panties in a rush but leaving on her white chiffon dress. She pushed him down onto the pillows as she took in the sight of him – his white tunic splayed out beneath him and his length bulging out of his undone trousers, longing to be freed, awaiting her. It was the most erotic sight Darcy had seen in a long time and she pounced immediately. She climbed atop him without hesitation, rocking her clit back and forth against his shaft and pulling a moan from his lips. By teasing him she was driving herself mad and after only a few moments she could wait no longer. She plunged downward on his length in one smooth motion. In unison their heads rolled back in pleasure and Darcy began to work him. She built a steady pace until she felt Loki put two firm hands on either sides of her hips and forced her rhythm to slow, pulling her from the brink once more.

"Aaaargh!" Darcy cried out in desperation and Loki, grinning, shifted his weight in one fluid motion, positioning Darcy on her knees in front of him while he entered her from behind. She cried out in pleasure and he rode her without mercy, bringing her to her climax and allowing her to peak. Her walls clenched around his length as she came, but Loki did not allow himself to follow her over the edge. Instead he rolled her onto her back once more, positioning himself between her legs.

"Have you any idea the lengths I would go to to keep you here?" Loki breathed, his deep eyes boring into her own.

Ah, Needy Loki. Sometimes she liked Needy Loki.

"Mmmm," she replied, her eyes heavy-lidded with passion.

"Any last requests?" he asked, positioning himself at her entrance.

"Just one," she said, and motioned for him to bring his face closer to hers. She whispered in his ear and he froze, his member throbbing with need, waiting to dive into her heat. He knew better than to ask if she was certain.

"As you wish," he said.

She watched in pleasure as a blue tinge crawled across his skin, leaving those darker blue swirled ridges in its wake. His red eyes looked down into her brown ones and he watched her grin with unhinged delight, so surprised was he at her pleasure. He ripped off the last remaining shreds of his clothing while Darcy slipped her dress easily over her head and deposited it unceremoniously on the floor.

The moment Darcy was ready Loki sheathed himself within her once more. She gasped at the cool, not cold, feeling and found it to be refreshing and pleasant. He allowed her a few precious seconds to adjust to his cooler temperature before he worked his hips into her slowly, drawing out her raw, ragged breaths. She ran her fingers up his arms, circling the ridges in his skin and bracing herself against his thrusts.

Loki positioned her legs straight to the heavens and held her ankles together, pumping faster and faster. Darcy gripped his arms for leverage and threw her head back, letting herself feel her heat build. They reached their climaxes together and Loki let out an animalistic roar of unbridled pleasure; Darcy shuddered around him and when he was certain that she had been satisfied fully he collapsed atop her.

The lovers held each other for several minutes and Loki remained in his Jotun form for her, allowing her to continue tracing he ridges in his skin.

"Your blue is pretty," she told him sleepily, laying her hot face on his cool chest.

"Mmmm," was all she heard. They drifted off the sleep in Darcy's chambers, their quarrel forgotten.

x

X

x

"Darcy, you should awaken if you do not wish for Lady Sif to beat you black and blue on your first day."

"Hrmph," was the response Loki received. A wave of his hand lit the sconces in the room, casting a delicate glow about the room and he leaned over her sleeping form, gently pulling away the coverlets from her face.

"Darling, right now you have time for a bath and breakfast. If you are to sleep longer you will hardly have time to get dressed," Loki informed her. He kissed her cheek and trailed butterfly kisses along her jawbone that ended at her shoulder. Darcy stirred.

"Well when you put it like that," she sighed and forced herself to sit upright, her eyes still closed, her hair tumbling in a haphazard mass to her waist. She allowed herself a moment to adjust to the cool air of the room before leaving the cocoon of warmth that was her bed. Loki lay there, watching her.

As Darcy drew her bath she blinked several times, trying in vain to remember the entire dream she had had the night before. All she could recall was that she and Loki were in the very room in which she found herself standing- her chambers. Dream-Loki had been sleeping soundly in their own bed and Dream-Darcy watched him in between instances in which she decided to start flying around the room. It had felt odd, almost like an un-dream, like it was so real and so surreal all at once that it stuck out in her mind.

Darcy shook away the dream the moment her bath was drawn. A half-hour into her morning routine she was awake and dressed, as was Loki, and she threw her hair hair into a quick ponytail before Inga would have any time to reach her chambers and change her simple hairstyle into an ornate Asgardian one.

They walked in silence in the darkened caste, catching muffled bits and pieces of the quiet goings-on in various rooms behind their closed doors. The soft sounds of their footfall seemed almost preciously fleeting, as though they would never see the palace this silent again.

It was no surprise when they discovered that the dining hall was empty save for the one servant in a corner awaiting breakfast orders. Darcy took Loki's advice and opted for an extra portion of protein in addition to her light fruit and grain and the pair ate silently, each of them lost in thought as they swept the final cobwebs of sleepiness from their minds. Darcy grew more awake and excited with each bite and when she finished her meal she practically bubbled with anticipation at training with Sif that morning.

Loki finished his own breakfast and escorted her to the training grounds to find Sif already awaiting them, which caused an involutnary thrill of panic to shoot through Darcy – were they late? But the look on Sif's face told her that they were not. Darcy noticed that armor Loki made for her just before their battle with Thanos was laid out and waiting for her. Loki bade Darcy good luck with a quick kiss and a worried look which was immediately followed by a deadly warning look shot directly at Sif before turning and leaving.

"Armor on," Sif said and Darcy moved. Darcy had never had to physically put on her own armor before (Loki had magicked it onto her body the one and only time she had worn it) which slowed her significantly, but Sif shows no signs of irritation and waited patiently. Darcy finally was able to tie on her final piece of armor and without wasting another moment Sif handed Darcy her sword.

"You must consider the length of your weapon in comparison to your opponent," Sif started, "You, Lady Darcy, require a shorter sword than most any warrior in all of Asgard. They will not laugh at you in your presence. Of course not, for you are to be their princess; they wouldn't dare. No, they shall laugh in the night, in the taverns, after the royalty has gone to rest their weary heads on their soft pillows. When I am finished with you, Lady Darcy, they will not dare," Sif said, narrowing her eyes. She circled around Darcy, examining her armor and her natural standing position.

"Range of your blade does not betray the outcome of any duel. The advantages of your short sword are that it is quick, precise, and you can more easily return to a ready stance. The disadvantage is that it will not deal as heavy a blow to your opponent, so you must keep your wits about you. You will learn to be quick, cutting your enemy in the correct places and waiting them out while they bleed, weakening them. Now armor off," Sif ordered.

Darcy gave her a quizzical look but got to work after only a fleeting moment and took several minutes to remove the armor as she was instructed. Sif studied her as she shed the metal pieces. She noted that although it seemed that the seconds dragged while she was being examined, the armor still took her far less time to take off than it did to put on, her fingers already remembering the patterns of the straps.

"Good," said Sif when Darcy finally removed her last leg plate. Darcy stood at attention, awaiting further instruction and she noticed that a couple of aesir warriors had stopped their morning warm-ups to watch the women train and Darcy was becoming increasingly self-conscious about it.

"You there! Gawkers!" yelled Sif as she pointed at the bystanders, "You will clean the stables this morning! Move!" The men hurried along, grumbling to one another. She turned to Darcy.

"And that takes care of them," said Sif. "Armor on."  
Darcy once again fumbled through putting on her full set of armor. Sif again ordered it off and Darcy complied without complaint. It went like this, armor on, armor off, for hours when Sif announced that they were finished, much to Darcy's great relief. The sun was reaching its peak and Darcy felt every beat of its harsh rays. She was dripping with sweat, already sore, and pretty sure her fingers would have blisters from working the many straps. She trudged back up to the castle with Sif.

"You did well today, Lady Darcy," Sif said.

Darcy moaned a tired sound of thanks and paused for a moment.

"You can call me Darcy, Sif," she told the warrior.

Sif granted her a smile and bowed her head in acknowledgment.

Darcy ran her fingers through her sweaty, unruly hair that had cemented itself to her skin while simultaneously working around the winding dirt path back up to the palace. When she finally did reach it, each step she took up the large stone stairs made her aching muscles cry in pain.

Pain that she would not let show to anyone on the outside. Sif was right. Darcy was going to be a figurehead in Asgard, a _human_ one at that. She needed to earn the common Asgardian's respect.

"It is a warrior's ache, Darcy. Good pain," Sif commented as she eyed Darcy's gait, "You will want your betrothed to make you a balm for your muscles. I will see you again on the morrow," Sif told her, taking her leave as the two parted ways at the top of the steps.

In what seemed like a tired, delirious blur Darcy made her way to Loki's chambers, letting herself through the huge double doors and collapsing onto his bed. She drifted to sleep and awoke to the sensation of cool, wonderful hands running themselves over her body. She cracked open two sleepy eyes to see Loki rubbing a delicious-smelling, minty-feeling balm over her bare legs and arms. It took all the energy she could muster for her to shrug off most of her clothing, allowing him access to almost every inch of her body. Her eyes fluttered closed when he began to work her back, kneading her aching muscles with lithe, knowing fingers, conjuring moans from her that were almost erotic.

"You need to awaken, love," Loki told her, interrupting her almost-departure from the conscious world, "Mother has more decorations for you to look through."

Darcy groaned and forced her eyes wide open, trying in vain to ignore the heavenly feeling of her suddenly relaxed limbs.

"That's it, we're eloping," she informed him. Loki's face fleetingly looked as though the idea thoroughly appealed to him, but Darcy continued before he could comment. "Fine, fine, I'm up."

She spent the rest of her afternoon picking out table runner fabric and ceiling décor with Queen Frigga who continued to be beside herself with excitement.

"Why, we have not had the pleasure of a royal wedding since Odin and I were wed," she reminisced.

"How long ago was that?" Darcy asked while she ran delicate fingers over a lavender fabric that was as soft as a rose petal.

"Several millenia," Frigga replied, her eyes never leaving the gigantic ceiling bauble she was fussing with. She had said it so nonchalantly, as though she was talking about the weather.

Darcy's hands stopped running over the lavender fabric.

"How do you make it work?" Darcy blurted out.

The queen paused and smiled her kind, wise smile.

"One day at a time."

Darcy thought about that answer for several moments and decided that she didn't like it. "But there has to be more to it than that."

Frigga turned from the ceiling bauble and faced Darcy. The years of experience shined from Frigga without making her look weathered. Frigga thought for only a moment and explained: "There are your day-to-day lives. Your duties to the kingdom, your duties to one another, your duties to your children and your duties to yourselves. You must both be strong but not forceful, clever but not petty, and sympathetic but not irresolute. Go to bed angry and you will find that your disputes shall have resolved themselves by the morning. But above all things you must never lose sight of why you chose one another, for it shall be the light that guides you in your darkest hour," said the queen as she took Darcy's hands into her own. "I believe I know my son better than anyone else, Lady Darcy. I have seen him lash out in furious anger and I have witnessed his fall from this realm eternal. And through all this, I rest assured in your love for one another. Why, your devotion is written all over both of your faces."

Darcy was stunned. She held back tears but did not hold back a fierce hug which was returned by Frigga.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Think nothing of it at all. Now I believe we are finished with this décor for the day; you run along, child."

x

X

x

Each following day passed very much like Darcy's first training day. She awoke early, trained until midday, appeased the queen by giving her input on wedding details and fell into bed with Loki at night. Occasionally Darcy would be taught courtyard propriety one day and the finer points of how, exactly, to address an Elvish envoy the next, but otherwise Darcy began to grow accustomed to the bustle of palace life.

Darcy was finding the sameness that occurred day-in and day-out was becoming monotonous, a sort of white noise that she felt she couldn't escape. Finally, she turned to her husband-to-be during breakfast one morning, eying him carefully and deciding that he was in good enough mood to press the subject.

"I have the day off. Let's go on an adventure."

Loki shot her an uncertain look. "Another ride to the Flagsylph Forest?"

"Actually, you'll be happy to know that for once I want to stay inside," she told him with a grin. He did not contain his look of surprise.

"Is that so? To where shall we find ourselves adventuring?"

Darcy's eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice conspiratorily. "The library."

Loki smiled involuntarily. "A love for books to which I can relate. Yes, this one will make a fine wife."

She rolled her eyes and they rose from the table together, exiting the dining hall hand-in-hand. Loki led Darcy through the halls of the palace past statues and tapestries to a wing she had never been to before, all marble-looking walls that led to a set of pearly double doors. When Darcy passed through them she gasped.

The walls of the grand library were lined with hundreds of shelves of books of every shape, size, and apparent age. The entire vault of books was empty save for one lone crone who sat behind an ancient desk, thumbing through a large volume and writing on a scroll every so often. Darcy took in the smell of the immense room and realized that even on an alien planet the distinct scent of a library was the same as it was on Earth.

It was only now that Darcy realized that Loki was studying her.

"What?" she asked.

"It is a rare sight indeed to see one so enchanted with all this," he said, motioning to the shelves.

"Are you kidding? This rocks!" she said and made her way to the nearest shelf. She ran her fingers along the old, withered titles and pulled one of the texts off of the shelf.

"_The Complete History of Asgard_," she read aloud and flipped through its pages. She looked up at Loki, puzzled. "Half of this book is empty!"

"Of course it is. It is the _complete_ history of Asgard. It is still being written," Loki said simply, as though it made all the sense in the world. "Our battle with Thanos should be in there already, and our engagement as well."

"Ooh, it is! I'm in a book," Darcy said with a smile, which quickly turned to a frown as she surveyed the other books on the shelves. "And right next to it is _The Encyclopedia of the Nine Realms_, and next to that is _Midgardian Tales of Asgardian Events_. Does this library not organize books by subject?"

"There is no need," Loki told her and guided her to the wizened old woman sitting behind the desk.

"Brunhilde?" he said, and the woman raised her head from her work.

"Prince Loki," the woman greeted him, "and this must be your betrothed. Tiny thing, are you not?"

Darcy did not know if she should agree with the woman or laugh, but thankfully Loki answered.

"Brunhilde, please show me where I will find _Essential Spells for the Apprenticing Sorcerer_."

The old woman nodded once and hovered a hand over the scroll in which she had previously been writing. It glowed blue and Darcy saw that one of the many rows of books that stretched down a long hallway began to glow blue in turn. Loki saw the light as well and thanked Brunhilde, heading toward the light as Darcy followed after him. They rounded the corner of a shelf and Loki plucked the glowing blue tome from its shelf, giving Darcy a smug smile.

"That's it? The book you're looking for sparkles like a World of Warcraft quest item?"

"Well it is quite a fast way of finding them," Loki said simply.

"You people need computers," Darcy remarked before she allowed herself to be immersed in the titles. Through the jumble of off subjects she was able to find another couple of books on sorcery, so she gathered a few of them from the shelves and sat down at a nearby table to flip through their dusty pages. Loki remained standing, scrutinizing _Essential Spells for the Apprenticing Sorcerer_.

"These spells are not essential," he muttered aloud, "It has been so long since I've read this that I hadn't realized the drivel contained within."

"These ones are pretty rad, actually," Darcy called over her shoulder without taking her eyes off of the page, "I mean, I can't read any of this but there are a ton of pictures. Check it out, this dude's on fire, but look, it's not so bad because he's happy," she said, pointing to a page in the text with a picture of a grinning man engulfed in bright green flames. Loki leaned in for a closer look.

"It is a warming spell. It will keep your body within an acceptable temperature range even during the coldest of winters," Loki explained.

"And they show that by drawing a guy on _fire?_"

"Of course. How else would you depict a body being warmed by magic?"

"Right," Darcy said, closing her book and moving on to the next one.

"Your mortal life force is too weak to handle magic in your current state, but when you partake in one of Idun's apples I can teach you these spells if you like," he said, looking up from his reading.

Darcy blinked. "What?"

"I can teach you to work magic once we are married," Loki repeated.

"Are you kidding me? All right, we need to get a move on with this wedding thing. I'll sit through a hundred dress fittings if I have to," she told him. He laughed and smiled down at her.

"Is betrothal to me not enough? I must bribe the lady with power as well?"

"You got it."

"That's my girl."

The two put away their tomes and headed for the exit together.

"I'm serious about you people needing computers, though," Darcy commented as they left, her voice trailing off down the hallway.

x

X

x

Thor was unusually quiet at dinner later that evening. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes staring off into nothing and focused on something that no one could see. Darcy shot a quizzical look at Loki and her eyes darted toward the god of thunder, but Loki gave her a shrug.

"What's up with you?" Darcy asked. When Thor did not answer, Darcy asked again, waving a hand to capture his attention. Thor's faced snapped to Darcy and he smiled, abashed that he had been so deeply engrossed in thought.

"Lady Darcy, my apologies. A king's worries have occupied my attentions this night. I shall deign to be more present," Thor said. Loki let out an involuntary snort at 'a king's worries' but no one commented.

"Anything I can help with?" Darcy asked and Thor began to wave his hand in dismissal, but stopped mid-wave.

"Perhaps not something that requires your assistance, but your betrothed may hold the answer to my plight," Thor said with a grin and Loki stopped chewing, a careful look of guarded caution crossing his features.

"Yes?" Loki asked.

"I received word that the North Palace of Alfheim is still rebuilding after Thanos's attack. They have not the manpower needed to make the palace whole before their frost season begins. I have my days filled with my duties here and moreover, I am no diplomat. I may inadvertently offend the elves' delicate sensibilities. But you, brother; you have the gift of the tongue, you speak the very language of diplomacy. Will you go in my stead and represent Asgard properly?" Thor asked. Darcy kept her smile to herself; it sounded like Thor knew exactly how to ask for a favor from his brother. Compliments will get you far.

Loki thought over the request for a moment. On one hand his idiot brother might cause inter-realm war with his brutish mannerisms. On the other, he hated doing royal work and having to maintain careful face around foreign leaders. But the third option was appealing – win points with the fiancee by taking her on a whirlwind trip to another realm. Something to make up for their Stockholm holiday that had been cut bitingly short.

"I shall do as you ask, Thor, on one condition. Darcy must accompany me."  
Darcy gave out an almost-inaudible squeal of delight and she clapped her hands together, eliciting an amused look from Volstagg.

"Of course! Lady Darcy should see Alfheim and become familiar with their leaders as well," Thor agreed.

"Ooh, when are we going?" Darcy asked.

"On the morrow," Thor replied.

"Oh my god, I have zero time to pack!" Darcy started, but Loki and Thor laughed.

"There is no need," Loki said, "Our servants shall have our travel chests ready for us in the morning."

Darcy laughed. "I swear if someone took away all your servants you two wouldn't be able to function. What would you guys do if you didn't have servants around to tell you which spoon is for broth and which is for soup?"

The entire table burst into laughter save for the Odinsons who were boh thoroughly unamused.

"But while I have them at my disposal I guess I'll just get more sleep," Darcy surmised. It was her turn to be laughed at.

"It is my solemn duty to tell you that no, you will not, Lady, Darcy," said Thor, "You shall awaken before the sun and you shall be off before it breaks the horizon."

"And before we can go you need to bathe and dress. Inga will style your hair, we shall have breakfast," Loki ticked off each item on his fingers.

"Well in that case I'm going to bed now. Catch y'all on the flip side," she told her dinner mates and left the hall for the evening. Loki stared after her, lost in thought of his own.

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Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, and review if you are so inclined.

I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	4. Chapter 3

Unbeta'd.

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"Knock, knock," said Nick Fury as he entered the lab.

"Shhhhhhh!" came two harsh whispers. He saw a disheveled Tony Stark balancing precariously on a rolling office chair with a metal piece of machinery in hand while Jane and Bruce stood on the floor below him, their hands up in case he should fall or drop the object. Tony was reaching high to try to place the metal in a slot at the very top of the portal generator.

"Don't let him kill himself, guys. It's too much paperwork. We're at the six-month mark now so I'm looking for a major update. Soon." Fury called as he left the lab. He heard a yell and a crash behind him but did not turn around.

"Oh, he landed on his face," he heard Jane say.

"He got it in!" said Bruce.

"That's what she said," said Tony before passing out.

x

X

x

The following morning Darcy awoke to a light knock at the heavy doors.

"Prince Loki, Lady Darcy," a young man's voice called, "It is time for you to awaken. The carriage is prepared and your horses await."

"Thank you, Ălarr," Loki called after letting out a yawn. Both he and Darcy arose and prepared themselves in the dimness of the morning with only a brief kiss and a hurried acknowledgment to one another that it was too damn early.

Darcy's outfit was a simple pair of riding pants and a loose-fitting muslin tunic with a wide belt. Inga was waiting for her when she was done getting dressed and she wove Darcy's thick locks into a fishtail braid down the middle of her back which Inga decided to toss tastefully over one of Darcy's shoulders, letting wispy tendrils of loose hair frame her face. Camera ready. All the time. She was beginning to think that she would never get used to it.

Darcy quickly put on a pair of tall leather boots and she and Inga left together to find Loki.  
The women met with Loki and his servant Ălarr who awaited them in the hall and they all had a quick breakfast before making their way to the front. A parade of warriors, including Sif, more servants, and horses awaited them, and in the center of the throng was a carriage drawn by several huge Asgardian steeds.

"A carriage? Really?" Darcy whispered to Loki.

"You will become weary of riding, darling. You will find it a welcome sight very soon," he told her and helped her into onto her mare, Domino.

They were off in no time and soon the company was treated to the sight of the rising sun that burst forth from pink and green cloud-streaked skies. Darcy was grateful for the cool morning air that helped her awaken quickly; she was able to catch fleeting glimpses of wildlife and the multicolored leaves alight with the morning's rays. Although she had seen some of it while she, Loki, and her friends were in the Flagsylph Forest, she wanted to catch as much of the flora and fauna that she could while she was outside of the castle walls. She let her mind wander as their horses clomped on, and she realized that in the hurry of dinner the night before and of breakfast this morning, she never asked about their destination.

"Where are we going?" Darcy asked Loki, "I thought that you guys traveled by Bifrost to get everywhere."  
"Bifrost is certainly the most convenient method of transport but it is not the only one. There are passages to most of the realms all over Asgard," Loki explained. He drew his steed to ride directly next to hers while they conversed.

"_Most_ of the realms?" Darcy asked. The tiny pink blossoms of a cluster of nearby trees were falling slowly over the party like a kind of soft, warm snow.

"We have not found one that goes directly to Muspelsheim yet, but it is a rare occasion indeed in which we find ourselves in need of safe passage to Muspelsheim anyway. It is the home of fire demons – nasty beasts, really."

"What about Hel?" Darcy asked.

"What about it?"

"What is Hel 'the land of'? On Earth there are a lot of people who believe that Hell is where you go after you die if you're a bad person," she explained.

"The only passageway to Hel is through one's own death and it is believed to be the land of the dead. No one living has ever ventured there entirely and returned the speak of it. The only reason why we know it exists is because of those who have died, caught fleeting glimpses of it, and then returned to the land of the living to tell the tale."

Darcy rolled the information over in her mind. "Are there passages to other realms on Earth?"

"Yes. In fact, where we are going, Alfheim, is riddled with passages to your world. It is no wonder that almost every culture on Midgard has tales of faeries and elves – most of them are based, in some way, in truth," Loki told her.

The guards and servants who could her the conversation were silently amazed at the prince's demeanor. Most of them had known him as a spoiled child for so long that it was now odd to see him so calm and rational. It was a difficult thing to believe for some of them. For others, who had touched true love themselves, did not find it to be difficult to believe at all.

Darcy and Loki continued on like this for the remainder of the morning, discussing back-and-forth the different realms and how they have impacted one another. Darcy learned that a tsunami on Vanaheim long ago was responsible for much of the water on Earth today, and that Niflheim's constant winter and close proximity to Earth could technically trigger an ice age for Earth at any time. The procession stopped for lunch and Darcy did find that, as she jumped down from Domino, her legs and lower back were worse for the wear after the 6-hour horseback ride.

After their lunch Darcy rode in the carriage, which turned out to not be nearly as bumpy as Darcy expected. It felt more like a smooth ride on a coaster train, really. She drifted in and out of lazy naps, occasionally drawing the curtains back to watch the scenery go by. Their surroundings had changed from the colorful forests of Asgard to rolling meadows of brilliant green grass dotted with yellow flowers. Onward they traveled until suddenly the carriage stopped and Darcy peered out to see that they had come to a fork in the road. Between the two roads was nothing but more meadow – but the air between the two roads seemed to catch the light of the setting sun differently than its surroundings.

Slowly Darcy felt the carriage move again and was startled to realize that half of their band was gone. Those who remained were trudging forward into the air between the forked roads two-by-two. As they entered the lightly shimmering space between the fork in the road they disappeared, and even though Darcy knew that they had reached the passage to Alfheim she was still nervous for the experience. Closer and closer the carriage was drawn toward the span of shimmering light and she become steadily more anxious. Finally she saw her carriage headed through the shimmering light -

- and felt nothing at all, except for the shock of her surroundings changing instantly.

Where the sun was setting in Asgard it was rising in Alfheim. Delicate tendrils of fog crept around the tall blades of grass that lined the well-beaten path that their company traveled marched upon. Sif had the guards stop for a headcount to ensure that all present should be there, and while they all waited Darcy got back up on Domino to have a perfect view of Alfheim's scenery. The guards gave Sif the all-clear and everyone continued onward.  
The seafoam-blue grasses brushed against the horses' legs as they trudged along the path. Wild mushrooms showed in blotchy white patches at the bases of sparse trees that dotted the landscape, while the trees themselves were resplendent with yellow leaves. One could hear the scurrying of animals every so often, and a family of little fat birds that looked suspiciously like quails crossed the path of the procession, causing everyone to cease their journey forward. Only when the birds were safely off of the path did the guards continue onward.  
"Not that I'm complaining, but what was all that?" asked Darcy.  
"The elves are very protective of all living things, especially those that have no true means of which to defend themselves against those of us at the top of the food chain. We must respect the law of the land while we are here, even if their customs vary from ours," explained Loki.  
Darcy nodded in agreement. At one with nature? That was pretty awesome.

"Where are all the people?" she asked.

"They live in the thicker forests amongst the trees. We have not yet reached the outer hamlets, but we are close," said Loki, "You will know when we reach civilization. The children run up to the path to gawk at the strange Asgardians."

Darcy smiled and stretched as much as she could while riding on a mare. Although Darcy's body told her that it was later afternoon, the crisp Autumn morning of Alfheim helped her to forget and filled her with renewed energy. The winding path required more skill and concentration in guiding Domino than she was used to and she found herself lost in though traversing the path. The next thing Darcy knew they had indeed reached the outskirts of the tiniest town she had ever seen.

The homes of the elves were unlike anything Darcy had ever seen. The very trees bent and curved to form natural dwellings high off the ground. Rope bridges connected the homes to one another and the tiny village was alive with noise and boisterous activity on the ground, at the base of the trees, where the elves went about their chores and trading of goods.

Just as Loki had predicted, a few tiny elflings ran up to the procession, their eyes wide in wonderment. Their bodies were slight, their limbs delicate and their hair ranged between shades of spun silver and blackest pitch. Their pale, almost-translucent hands waved as the Asgardians rode by and the Asgardians all waved back, causing the children to laugh and run back to their parents' skirts. The elves gave the company kindly smiles and small nods of greeting before getting back to their morning chores.

Darcy was enamored instantly.

"This place is like the freaking shire, except, you know, no hobbits," Darcy whispered to Loki. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, giving her a small, albeit confused smile.

Sparse dwellings dotted the trees as they continued on until they came up on a thick forest with one narrow pathway that required the company to proceed single-file. For almost an hour they rode this way. The light filtered through the thick grove of thin trees, casting sharp rays in so many lines across their faces. Darcy was just beginning to get used to the zigzag pattern of the sunbeams flashing across her vision when the thick forest ceased almost as abruptly as it had began. The band was suddenly in a clearing blessed with complicated white-and-blue flowers that looked like alien stargazer lilies and just beyond the clearing a well-populated town began.

Loki halted the party. He dismounted from his steed at once and helped Darcy off of hers.

"I shall show Lady Darcy Ljosalfarland while we rest for our evening meal," Loki told Sif, who insisted upon accompanying them with several other guards for their protection.

The pair stretched their legs with a walk across the large clearing and they had not even reached the dirt roads of the town yet when an elvish child had already spotted them, squealing with excitement for her friends to come look. The little elf offered Darcy a white-and-blue flower which the princess-to-be gladly accepted, placing it in her hair and continuing with Loki to the beginnings of what appeared to be a bazaar. It was only when she was amongst the locals did Darcy realize just how tall the adult elves were – every one of them was Loki's height or even a little taller with graceful limbs, silent steps, and lithe fingers. Some of the women wore thin dresses with sleeves that reached the ground, others favored tight-fitting bodices and leather pants meant for rangers. Some of the men wore simple dresses with thicker fabric and others chose mid-length jackets with high collars and long breeches. Many carried baskets of flowers, grains, berries and breads whose smells made Darcy's mouth water.

Loki and Darcy approached the first stall in the bazaar, a makeshift structure that looked like it had just been constructed that very morning. It contained jars and vials of every size and color, and Loki explained that the vendor specialized in poisons. Loki purchased a tiny vial, slipping it into his jacket and the pair moved on to the next shop made up of a wheelbarrow and some large wicker baskets containing cold food and balms. A hand-cart next to it had an intricate method of displaying the gifts and glassworking it held for sale, and upon further inspection Darcy noticed that the shop folded up on itself to become much smaller. She and Loki purchased their dinner/breakfast (breakfast for Alfheim but dinner for the Asgardians) at the next shop that had vegetables, fresh fruit, and honey for sale – the vendor, a handsome, muscular elf with long black hair prepared a meal of spiced vegetables in a savory sauce that was better than any Chinese food Darcy had ever eaten. There were stalls containing items infused with magic, charms, talismans, and enchanted weaponry. Loki in particular was interested in a fine set of silver daggers while Darcy spied a beautiful staff made of a rich dark wood with an opalescent jewel at the top. The final stall at the end of the long, twisty bazaar contained varied elvish fashion including dresses, jewelry, bodices, breeches, tunics, vests, and boots. Darcy fawned over several of the items and, to her surprise, Loki purchased every single one. He had spent what Darcy thought to be probably more than a year's salary from her job with SHIELD back on Earth at that one stall, coming away with jewelry, a few dresses, and a pair of leather boots with slightly pointed toes that were adorned with several small silver buckles.

Sif raised an eyebrow at Darcy when she saw the purchases and smirked, but said nothing. Darcy gave her a big guilty grin right back. The other guards loaded the purchases into the carriage.

They continued on with their journey in relative silence, but when the sun reached its peak in the sky Darcy finally asked the question that is universal to any long road trip in any realm in the universe.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, yawning.

"We are very nearly there," answered Loki, who was beginning to sound equally as weary.

The company followed the winding dirt roads to the center of the labyrinth that was Ljosalfarland. The crowning jewel of Alfheim was at the center of the elf city, where lived a single enormous tree, taller than any redwood, whose thousands of branches were bent and shaped to form what appeared to be a wooden castle. The band reached the base of the North Palace and dismounted; a group of elves came outside of the massive trunk of the tree at its base to greet them. They helped the ladies down from their horses and used magic to gather their luggage, floating it into the gargantuan tree-castle. Sif and a few Asgardian guards followed suit, then Loki and Darcy, then servants, and the head guards brought up the rear.

The interior of the massive North Palace was even more impressive than the outside. The ceiling was several stories high and the grain of the inside of the tree trunk was clearly visible with its swirled lines, which were highlighted by enchanted floating orbs that littered the ceiling and cast a subtle light across the room. Tinier faerie lights flitted about here and there in the air and a few of them hovered a few inches off of the ground to guide foot traffic. Paintings, fountains, and potted flowering plants dotted the walls and hallways as did a single elvish sentry at the entrance of the castle, who watched with great interest as the Asgardians paraded by.

Darcy and Loki followed their escorts up several winding staircases and down one very narrow hallway that spilled openly, without a door, into a massive suite with a stunning view of of the city below. Loki saw that his fiancee was exhausted and led the guards and elvish escorts out of the room to discuss some of the finer details of their visit while Darcy collapsed onto the bed, relishing the feeling of the soft down against her aching back.

"Why the hell I chose travel on horseback almost the whole way here is beyond me," Darcy said as Loki came back into the bedroom. Darcy studied his face; his weariness was apparent and he peeled off his jacket before sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled off his boots and flopped backwards onto the pillow with a heavy sigh and draped a lazy arm over Darcy's waist.

"It is worse than I imagined," said Loki.

"What is?"

"The elves' situation. They need much more manpower than they have."

Darcy raised a puzzled brow. "But this city, this castle – how do they have the manpower for all this, then? How badly can this tree be damaged when it looks so awesome on the outside?" asked Darcy. She rolled to her side a propped her head on her hand, and trailed her other hand in a line upon Loki's tunic.

"Thanos managed to destroy much of the castle's root system, which is where the Soul Gem was stored along with the rest of the elves' best weapons and magical artifacts. In doing so he murdered several dozen of the elders. The trouble there is that the oldest elves also had the most potent magic, so healing the castle will require more magic than they have available. Without its root system intact the castle will wither and die within a few short decades," Loki explained. He closed his eyes and ran his hand lightly over Darcy's.

"Oh wow, I had no idea. Well damn. What are we going to do to help them?" asked Darcy.

"We will likely end up sending some of our best sorcerers, myself and my mother included. The winters of Alfheim are generally quite mild, but the land is giving forewarnings of a harsh winter to come so the repairs must be expedited," said Loki.

"And when do we negotiate all of this with the elves?"

"In the morning. They have given us time to become accustomed to the 'jet lag' as you would call it. We shall dine with the queen tomorrow morning and then I shall confer with and her counsel while you and your ladies-in-waiting take a tour of the North Palace," he told her.

"Wait," said Darcy, who sat up, "I'm not going with you to talk about what we're going to do to fix their tree house? I thought I was supposed to be learning how to do all of this ambassador stuff."

Loki opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Normally you would, but my reputation with the elves is not the best – the queen is only seeing me because they are desperate and I am here in an official capacity. News of my 'rehabilitation,' for lack of a better term, has traveled far indeed. The queen has requested to speak to only me until you and I are officially married; apparently she does not trust that I would follow through with a marriage to a mortal and she does not wish to become... attached. Not until you have partaken in an apple. The queen can be quite emotional, really," explained Loki.

"So why am I even seeing her at all? Didn't you say we're all having breakfast together tomorrow?" she asked.

"She still has to _meet_ you, Darcy, at least for propriety's sake. Asgard would take it as an insult to the realm if she refused to see you at all."

Darcy rolled his words over for a moment. She was slightly disappointed that she would not get to see what interstellar diplomatic talks looked like in action – her Political Science degree would have finally come in handy - but she was a little relieved at the same time. Her training in foreign affairs was still new and she certainly did not want to be the one dumb human that said the wrong thing and started a war that Earth would not be able to handle. Although, Darcy doubted that the elves would war with beings as insignificant as humans.

Darcy yawned and stretched. She felt tired, almost too-tired, but her brain was racing at light speed and when she shut her eyes she found that her mind would not quieten long enough for her to even come close to slumber. Apparently Loki felt the same way because suddenly he arose from the bed and strode to a cupboard on the other side of the room while Darcy watched after him with curiosity. He opened a cupboard door and revealed an array of bottles and jars inside, and after searching for a moment he found what he appeared to have been looking for. A few short moments later he came back to the bed and handed Darcy a tiny shot glass of a shimmering pink liquid.

"This-" Loki said, holding his own little shot glass up to her, "Is Beinisofta. This shall put the both of us into a restful state," explained Loki. "We must be ready to fall asleep when we drink it for it works quickly."

"So we'll sleep through our jet lag, basically?" Darcy asked, taking the tiny glass from him with two fingers. The liquid inside swirled against the glass like a dancer through a thick fog.

"Yes. This will keep us from awakening in the middle of the night so that we shall be refreshed when we see the queen on the morrow."

"I'm ready. Let's do this!" said Darcy and knocked the drink back in one shot. It tasted the way honeysuckles smell, Darcy thought briefly before an overwhelming weariness washed over her. Loki followed suit and by the time he set his glass on the bedside table Darcy was already asleep. Soon he was as well, snoring gently with the afternoon sun high in the sky.

x

X

x

_Loki sat up in bed, the two bright moons of Alfheim staring at him through the window from the blackest night sky. Darcy stirred next to him, mumbling something unintelligible and rolling over in an attempt to get back to sleep. Loki arose from the bed and walked slowly down the hallway to the normally-door-less exit of the room to find that it had been sealed off – where before was the door-less entrance to the second hallway that took one to the main castle was nothing but more tree trunk which blocked his path. Loki went back to the bedroom and tried to leave through the exit on the other side but found that it, too, was blocked by a solid piece of tree trunk._

_ A sudden chill washed over the god of mischief as he realized what was happening._

_ "Darcy, wake up!" Loki said. He leaned over her, shaking her shoulder gently._

_ "Query?" asked Darcy, and Loki gave her a quizzical look._

_ "What?" said Loki?_

_ "Wake up in the morning, I dreamed a dream and we were dancing in the moonlight," Darcy mumbled._

_ Loki studied her for a moment._

_ "Darcy, the barrier between our dreams is acting oddly, I cannot understand anything you are trying to tell me," Loki said._

_ It was Darcy's turn to give him the quizzical look._

_ "This must be just like living in paradise. We're running with the shadows of the night, Loki," said Darcy and she sat up in bed motioning for him to sit with her. He sat directly in front of her and she inspected his face carefully, as though she might find the answer to the riddle that was Loki's odd speaking somewhere there._

_ "And by the way you are looking at me I suppose you cannot understand me either. No matter," said Loki, rising once more from the bed. A puzzled Darcy simply watched him as he strolled over to the cupboard, pulling out a different jar from before – this was a jar of a silvery white liquid. He opened the jar and dumped the contents into the air, where it was held in suspended animation. Loki pointed at the gravity defying liquid and looked back at Darcy, begging her with his eyes to understand._

_ "We are dreaming," he told her slowly. He ran a few fingers through the floating liquid and it swirled around in the air, the substance still not falling to the floor as it should. _

_ Realization dawned on Darcy's sleepy face. "Sweet dreams are made of this?" she asked._

_ "Yes. Dreaming. I have never done this with a mortal before; there is a definite learning curve," remarked Loki. His attention fixated on an orb of faerie light in the room that was gradually becoming brighter._

_ "We are awakening," Loki told Darcy, who did not understand him. He made an exaggerated motion toward the ball of light and opened and closed his eyes to pantomime awakening. The ball of light grew brighter with each passing second._

_ "Blinded by the light," Darcy said, her eyes fixated. Loki smiled, understanding finally that she was speaking in song lyrics having recognized this one from his short stay on Midgard._

_ "Indeed," Loki smiled and they both watched the ball grow brighter and brighter until it was all they could see._

x

X

x

Loki and Darcy awoke with a start at the same moment and found themselves staring at one another. The light of the early morning poured into their suite, the bright orb that was the sun had just cleared the horizon and was now fully visible in the sky.

"What the hell?" Darcy mumbled.

"That," said Loki, and he paused to stretch, "was an Asamtdraumr."

"That's a mouthful. What were you trying to tell me? You know, other than it was just a dream. Scared the hell out of me at first," Darcy said as an afterthought.

"That is all that I was trying to tell you - just that we were dreaming. I have not shared a dream with another person since I was a child, and certainly never with a mortal," he told her. He sat up and blinked, allowing himself time to adjust to his newly-vertical position. "It is something of a mind connection. My sorcery, magic, whatever you wish to call it is always active and occasionally will attempt to present itself to those I feel most comfortable with."

"Oh I see how it is. You can bust into my dreams with your weirdo Klingon speak but I can't bust into yours. Rude," Darcy said jokingly and he smiled down at her.

"When we build the foundations of your sorcery, after you partake in an apple, I can teach you this as well, my lady," he told her and he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "But first things first. We have a queen with whom we must dine, and then you have a full day yourself."

She rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathtub, studying it for a moment, trying to discern how exactly one would activate it. After a few minutes and an amused grin from Loki as he watched her try to figure it out, Darcy stepped inside of the tub to see if there was something she was missing and when her feet touched the bottom of the bathtub it began to fill itself. The bathwater was crystal-clear and the perfect temperature and Darcy lazed in its warmth, almost falling back to sleep in its clear water when Inga announced herself from the hallway. Darcy wrapped in towel quickly and, seeing that Loki was decent, bade that Inga come inside.

Inga carried a few hair supplies and a dress for Darcy which she laid out on the bed. She got to work on Darcy's hair, artfully styling it into soft curls

Darcy's ensemble today was ornate and clearly meant for special occasions. The cool golden silk clung to all the right places and flowed freely at the skirt, which reached to the floor. There were clusters of tiny emeralds in the bodice and the neckline was cut so that it bared collarbones and shoulders. Matching green and gold jewelry were placed in Darcy's hands, but some pieces Darcy did not recognize and for the life of her she could not figure out where they were supposed to go. Inga assisted Darcy, working some of the jewelry into her complicated hairstyle and two in particular that wrapped behind Darcy's ears and came to rest on each of her temples, framing her eyes in elaborate golden ivy leaves with swirled vines.

"What are these for?" She asked Inga.

"Symbolic," the woman replied. "The colors symbolize the fierceness of Asgard and your connection with Prince Loki; the jewelry is elvish and symbolizes the partnership of the two realms. It is a great honor to represent Asgard in any way, especially one of an official capacity."  
Inga finished with Darcy's tendrils and took a step back, admiring work.

"Inga, it's beautiful," Darcy breathed, enchanted by her own locks reflected in the mirror, "You have a gift."  
"Why thank you Lady Darcy," Inga replied and gave her a kind smile, softening the normally hardened features of her face. It was short-lived, thought, when she put her hands on her hips and said, "Now off with us or we shall be late!"

Loki and Darcy made their way to the dining hall, followed by a group of servants and Sif who followed behind them in two neat rows. The hall had high ceilings and enormous windows that granted diners a view of the mountains in the east. The view itself was so breathtaking that Darcy almost didn't notice the a tall, tan elf-woman sitting at a massive oak table in a regal high-backed chair who studied the Asgardians in the few precious seconds it took for them all to take in the surroundings of the room.

"Welcome," said the queen, "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."

Loki bowed and smiled at the queen, laying on more charm than Darcy had ever seen from him. The queen herself seemed to receive it well and bade that they sit and dine with her. Darcy took a seat between Loki and Inga.

"Loki Odinson, might you introduce me to your lady love?"

"Eulalia, queen of Alfheim, mother of the woods and keeper of the Scrolls of Svartalfsheim, I present to you my betrothed, Darcy Lewis of Midgard, sworn defender of the peace of New York City and keeper of the Great Taser of Puente Antiguo," Loki deadpanned. Darcy, miraculously, was able to keep a straight face and bowed her head and smiled at Queen Eulalia while the queen returned her smile.

"I bid you welcome to our realm, Darcy Lewis of Midgard. Thank you for traveling the great distance to meet with us on this day," said she.

"You have a beautiful world. I have never seen a tree like this one – how old is it?" Darcy asked.

"The North Palace was a sapling when I was born, only twenty feet tall at the time. That would make it approximately 50,000 years old," the queen told her and Darcy let out a low whistle.

"Indeed, it is the crowning jewel of all of Alfheim," said Loki and the queen granted him a pleased smile. He raised a glass of some kind of juice to make a toast. "To the North Palace."

"To the North Palace," Darcy, Queen Eulalia, and the servants echoed, raising their own glasses.

An elvish servant with the prettiest blonde hair Darcy had ever seen placed a single tiny yellow berry in front of Darcy and the others and she watched Loki to see what exactly, one was supposed to do with it. She watched as Loki gingerly speared it with his fork and ate it, as did the queen, and Darcy did the same.

The tiny yellow berry tasted like every food Darcy had ever enjoyed all at the same time. She could catch snippets of flavors and textures, and the volume of the food was much more than that of the single little berry she had just consumed, satiating her hunger almost-instantly. Loki looked to her and winked.

"Why Queen Eulalia, I do not think Lady Darcy has ever had the pleasure of tasting an Everberry, although there is something like it from whence she hails. In my travels to Midgard I heard tales, whispers really, of a man known only by the name of Wonka," Loki said, and glanced around the table. All eyes were on him and from his periphery it was clear that Darcy had frozen in her seat. He continued, "This sorcerer was the overlord of an enchanted land that produced the most succulent delights, including a sort of confection that was in many ways like the delicious Everberry. When one would consume it it would take on the properties of a three-course meal with some occasionally-nasty results," he told the queen who was enraptured by the tale. Darcy's mouth quirked up involuntarily and she literally bit her tongue to keep from laughing.

Darcy shot him a look, she hoped subtly, that screamed 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!'. He grinned at her and she was amazed that she did not laugh, and instead smiled in a show for the queen.

Darcy cleared her throat. "Um, your majesty, that was delicious, thank you so much. I've never had anything like it."

"Mine tastes like Snozzberries," said Loki offhandedly and an involuntary giggle escaped Darcy's lips. She coughed to cover it and succeeded and quickly changed the subject.

"How long do you think your talks will last this morning, Queen Eulalia? My _darling_ fiance here has promised to take me on a tour of your castle when he's done."

"That is hard to say, Lady Darcy. All of Alfheim is grateful for whatever assistance Asgard can offer but it could be lengthy to determine the finer details. Please give my deepest gratitude to King Thor upon your return," said the queen. Loki's face lost its amused undertone at the mention of his brother and he arose from his seat.

"There is much to discuss. Let us begin."

"Agreed," nodded the queen. Everyone at the table stood to leave the room and the queen turned back to Darcy. She took Darcy's pale hand and whispered in her ear, "I am not sure what you have done to change him, Darcy Lewis of Midgard, but know that it is fleeting. Never forget who Loki _is_."

With that the queen, Loki, and the palace guards left together, leaving a stunned Darcy standing behind her chair with Inga staring at her.

"Lady Darcy? Are you well?" Inga asked.

Darcy blinked once and shrugged off the comment. "Never better," she smiled. "Have you ever been here before?"

"Aye, once when I was a girl like you. I fell hard for a young elf and..." Inga said and her eyes glazed over in thought until she shook her head in an effort to dispel the memory. "Well, no matter. Prince Loki arranged for a guided tour by one of Alfheim's representatives. Ah, here he is now."

The sentry that Darcy saw when she first entered the North Palace entered the dining hall and Darcy, Inga, a few servants, and Sif gathered in a group and followed as he led the company throughout the whole of the castle.

The elvish sentry walked silently ahead of the Asgardians and Darcy found herself remarking to Sif and her ladies-in-waiting on a fountain or a peculiar type of climbing vine. Finally after an hour Darcy asked their tour guide a question and he ignored her completely, continuing with his gait and never even slowing his pace. Sif and Darcy exchanged glances but said nothing. Darcy kept talking but Sif did not appear to her her; Sif's eyes were narrowed as she watched the elvish sentry-turned-tour-guide ahead of them. Sif seemed to realize that Darcy had been prattling on about something and she turned to face the princess-to-be.

"What did you say?" asked Sif.

"Oh, I was saying that Loki and I had a crazy dream last night. Like he and I shared a dream. Together," explained Darcy absentmindedly while she inspected a beautiful purple flower with spiky dark green leaves.

"You and Loki shared an Asamtdraumr?"

"Bless you. Yeah, that thing. Loki told me about it this morning."

"Darcy, that is very rare. I've never even heard of it being done with a mortal. I'm starting to see your relationship in a new light, Darcy Lewis," said Sif while she appraised her friend.

"There is something you must see," said the tour guide and Darcy and Sif ceased their conversation. The passed an intricately carved fountain down a long hallway. The guide opened a heavy wooden door and ushered the ladies inside.

"Um, I think this is a store room," said Darcy and immediately they all heard the door close with a heavy thud followed by the snick of a lock being pushed into place. Sif drew her sword instantly and Darcy followed suit. They both circled around the ladies-in-waiting for protection and awaited an immediate threat that did not present itself. Darcy kept a lookout for enemies in the small storage close while Sif worked on the locked door to no avail.

"I should be able to easily break it down, but..." Sif said as she kicked and beat the door with all of her strength. "This is no use," said Sif finally, "It has been sealed with sorcery. I cannot break it down. But-" she said as she put her ear to the heavy wooden door, "I think I can hear the fountain. That means that anyone passing by should be able to hear us, too."

The women waited for only an hour before one of passing elvish guards heard them banging on the door and yelling for freedom. They could hear the guard mutter some words from the other side of the door and he was finally able to get the door unlocked.

"Lady Darcy, the queen has requested to see you at once," the guard said when he saw that Lady Darcy was amongst the occupants. There was no indication that he was at all concerned about the fact that the women who had all been locked in a store room.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Sif and she drew her sword, pointing it at the guard, "Why did your guide trap us in there?"

"That is precisely what Queen Eulalia wishes to discuss with Lady Darcy," said the elf. He stared at Sif until she lowered her weapon a moment later. The elf took in a deep breath and looked to Darcy.

"Prince Loki has been kidnapped."

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Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, and review if you are so inclined.

I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	5. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I've been lazy about putting out chapter updates, which is ridiculous since the entire story is already written. I have zero excuse. But my dears, I am going on a trip starting tomorrow and I'll be out of the country for a while, so to make up for the lack of updates (and the fact that I won't be around for a while) I'm putting out two new chapters today. Enjoy!

Un-beta'd.

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Darcy, Queen Eulalia, Sif, and both head guards of Asgard and Alfheim were seated at a long wooden table in a large, windowless room in the North Palace and discussed the disappearance of Loki.

"He got quiet; he began to look pale. He then excused himself from our negotiations. I had a servant escort him to his room and I sent a guard to fetch you, which seems to be about the time the imposter locked all of you in a storage closet. While the servant and Loki were in route to his rooms, the servant revealed herself to be an Asgardian woman in disguise. According to eyewitnesses she made a show of revealing herself and making certain everyone knew who she was before she, the imposter tour guide, and Prince Loki disappeared into thin air," explained Queen Eulalia.

Darcy was pale as a sheet. "Does anyone know who she was?" she asked in a small, trembling voice.

Queen Eulalia and her head guard exchanged a look.

"I'm afraid we do. The person who took your betrothed is an Asgardian sorceress by the name of Amora, known by many as the Enchantress."

Sif's eyes grew wide at the name and she let out a breath she had been holding.

"We must get back to Thor and Frigga immediately," said Sif. She stood and pulled Darcy up by the arm.

"What? Who is she? Do you know what she would want with him?" Darcy asked. Sif looked between her face and Queen Eulalia's, who waited for Sif to speak with great interest.

"She's a troublemaker, Darcy. She has history with almost everyone in Asgard and none of it is good. Thor will need to hear of this at once. We must go," explained Sif.

"Ride swiftly," the queen said and Sif and Darcy left.

Within a scant quarter hour Darcy and her entire company were off. Darcy sat in the carriage with her ladies-in-waiting and looked out the window at the glorious scenery. She recognized numbly that it was probably beautiful, but none of it touched her soul. She felt as though the bottom of her stomach had dropped out and several times along the way she felt certain that she was going to be sick.

"Calm yourself, Lady Darcy," said Inga after Darcy had once again opened the window of the carriage to cool her face and gulp in fresh air. "Prince Loki can take care of himself."

Darcy nodded, her eyes vacant and lost in thought. She wished she could find the mercy of sleep, but her mind raced at light speed with thoughts that would not allow her the luxury of a nap.

The journey home seemed much quicker than it had on the way to Alfheim and Darcy spent it all in the carriage, silent. The scenery blurred together and it was raining in Asgard when they passed through the passageway between the two worlds. On any normal day Darcy would rejoice that it was raining; this day the rainfall went barely noticed by the princess-to-be. Even though her body refused to let her fall into blissful unconsciousness, her mind drifted in and out of focus.

Before long they were already pulling up to Castle Asgard and Sif waited for Darcy before the two marched into the palace to find Thor. They found him speaking to a guard in the throne room and Thor dismissed the guard when he saw Darcy and Sif approaching.

"Thor. Loki is gone," said Sif. Thor's face became solemn and he turned to Darcy.

"Darcy, I am so sorry. Did he leave a note before he departed?"

Sif and Darcy looked at one another and comprehension hit them both at once. They looked back to Thor.

"Thor, he didn't leave me. He was kidnapped," Darcy said.

"Oh, thank goodness. By whom? What happened?"

"Amora," was all Sif said.

Thor's face turned from concern to one of pure annoyance. "Amora," he echoed with a grimace.

"Apparently she revealed herself to several elves before disappearing with Loki in a grand exit. A very 'Enchantress' thing of her to do. Oh, and she had another man with her who was disguised as an elf; she used him as a distraction for us while she kidnapped your brother. I would wager my life that this is all a scheme to get you to come to her," Sif said. Thor rolled his eyes.

"We must see my mother at once. Sif, I will need you to gather the warriors-three, please. Heimdall!" Thor called, knowing that the gold-clad man could hear him. "Please meet with us. We have much to discuss."

Sif left and Darcy followed behind Thor at a half-run.

"Thor," said Darcy. He did not seem to hear her, so lost was he in thought.

"Thor. Dude," she repeated. With every step Thor seemed to become angrier until finally Darcy tapped him on the shoulder to stop him.

"I really need to know what's going on here. I'm freaking out! Is he in danger or what?"

"I do not believe he is. Amora the Enchantress has been nothing but a vain, petty annoyance in the past. A thorn in all of Asgard's side for far too long, which is why we must see my mother. She and my father banished Amora but they never mentioned to where. Honestly, no one really cared to ask," said Thor.

He and Darcy continued on until they found Frigga who was reading in the garden. Frigga laid eyes on Darcy's face and here eyes widened in alarm.

"Lady Darcy, you are so pale," Frigga said, taking Darcy's hands into hers, "What happened? Where is Loki?"

"Mother, Loki has been kidnapped. By Amora the Enchantress, of all people," Thor told her. Frigga's eyes narrowed.

"Will that girl never cease her scheming?"

"At appears that she has not yet. We must rescue him," Thor told her.

"This is probably a ploy to get you to come to her. She has always had eyes for you, Thor," Frigga told him with a mother's knowing smirk.

"That's exactly what Sif said," Darcy chimed in.

"It is true. Ever since they were children, when-"

"I apologize for interrupting, mother," Thor bit out, "but we must make a plan to rescue your son. Will you please accompany us in meeting Heimdall and the warriors-three in the gathering room?"

Frigga nodded once and off they went. Heimdall, Sif, and the warriors-three were all waiting for them in the gathering room, which was a tall, circular room with a huge round wooden table in the center surrounded by plush chairs. All took a seat to discuss their plan of action. Thor spoke first.

"Allow us to briefly get you caught up, Darcy. As Sif told you, Amora the Enchantress has a history with Asgard. She is a talented sorceress and loves power almost as much as she loves her own pretty face. She is petty and vain, but by the same token she is cunning and calculating. Amora will always exploit an advantage when she can and will run from a fight she knows she cannot possibly win. But," said Thor and he looked around the room at the faces of his friends and family, "she is indeed a skilled sorceress, and a force with which to be reckoned. If she wants something she will stop at almost nothing to get it."

"And we think that she took Loki to lure Thor to her? Is that not super-creeper status?" asked Darcy. She could not tell if she was calming down or if her nerves were so shot from being stressed out that she was adjusting to the situation.

Volstagg answered her. "Her infatuation with Thor runs deep indeed, Lady Darcy. Amora has held a candle for Thor since-"

"Since when," interrupted Thor, "do we need to know why Amora has Loki? All we know is that she has him and it is a slight against Asgard itself. I shall not stand idly by while Loki suffers; we must go. Mother, to where did you and father banish her?"

"We sent her to Nornheim to apprentice under Karnilla. We had hoped that she could provide the structure and discipline that Amora so desperately needed. That clearly did not turn out as we had hoped," Frigga answered. "Heimdall, are you able to see her?"

"I can see ten trillion souls in all the nine realms, and not one is hers. Or Loki's, for that matter. Her powers have grown greatly since last we saw her," said Heimdall.

"Then we must seek out Karnilla," said Sif, "We should leave immediately."  
"Agreed," said Thor. "Darcy, mother, we shall return with Loki soon."

With that Thor rose from his chair, but Darcy stopped him.

"Yeah, I don't think so big guy," she said. "I'm coming with."

Thor stopped where he stood and looked down at her.  
"Absolutely not. Darcy, I know you worry as do we all. But you are frail in your mortal form and I do not dare risk losing you along the way. There will be dangers untold," Thor told her.

"And hardships unnumbered, probably. I can hold my own, Thor. Sif's been training me. And I can't sit here in the castle hoping everything turns out all right when I have it in me to help out. I can do this, Thor," she said.

Thor opened his mouth to argue but he was cut off.

"She has to come with us," agreed Sif quietly. "She and Loki have shared the Asamtdraumr. Darcy may be able to tell us exactly where Loki is if Karnilla doesn't know where Amora is anymore."

The entire room was silent and all eyes turned to Darcy.

"The Asamtdraumr? Are you sure?" Thor asked. Sif nodded once. Frigga looked at Darcy with new eyes, seemingly appraising her in a different light than before.

"That's what Loki said. Guys, it wasn't really even a big deal; I could hardly even understand him anyway. But yes, I want to come with you guys. I'll go crazy if I just sit around waiting," explained Darcy.

Thor looked to Sif.

"I've trained her myself. She can handle it," Sif told him.

"Fine," said Thor after a moment. "We must all rest first; the journey to meet with Karnilla will be a long one."

Most of the group dispersed except for Heimdall who motioned for Thor to stay behind as well.

"My king, I must inform you that the Lady Jane shall arrive in Asgard very shortly. Days. They have discovered the means to maintain a constant stream of energy to keep the doorway open," he said, "Midgard's own Bifrost," he added, almost to himself. Thor's face was unreadable at the news.

"Jane will kill me if I wait for her to get here and then leave to rescue Loki. I thank you for the news, my friend, but I am afraid I will have to leave in the morning. All the more incentive to come home sooner," he told Heimdall.

"As you wish."

x

X

x

The following morning Darcy bathed and dressed quickly before heading to the dining hall for a much-needed breakfast. She found that while she had not been hungry the day before from the stress of Loki's kidnapping, a good night's sleep and the determination to find him brought back her appetite with a vengeance. She entered the dining hall and Thor, Sif, the warriors-three and Frigga were already there. On the table was an impressive breakfast buffet.

"Best part of any rescue mission," said Volstagg, "Asgard's chefs always put out a spread for us the morning of our journey's start." Darcy smiled at him and filled her own plate, then took a seat between Frigga and Hogun.

"I wish you the best of luck on your journey, Darcy," Frigga said. "I must tell you that I am quite pleased that you and Loki are close enough to share the Asamtdraumr. Between you and me, Odin and I frequently share the Asamtdraumr as well. It is a wonderful way to remain close to your love even if you are great distances apart or, in my case, separated by unconsciousness."

"Do you ever know when your husband will wake up?"

"I never do," said Frigga.

Darcy did not know what she could say that would possibly comfort Frigga, so she simply nodded in acknowledgment.

When everyone was finished with their meal they all rode out together with supplies that the servants had packed for them and Sif had double-checked. The band of friends headed for the mountains of Asgard and it was only when they were halfway across the pass of one peak was Darcy awake and alert enough to ask what lay ahead of them.

"First and foremost we must gather a gift for the queen of Nornheim, as Karnilla prefers to be called," Thor explained.

"Nornheim? This is actually the first I've ever heard of Nornheim. Where is it?" Darcy asked.

"Nornheim is a region in this very realm. It is a beautiful, colorful place. I know you will like it," said Thor with a smile.

"But I thought your dad was the king of this whole place. Why is she called the queen and why do we have to get her a gift?"

"Odin is indeed the king of all of Asgard and the protector of the nine realms," said Fandral, "But Karnilla is a very powerful sorceress. Sometimes she is friend, sometime she is foe. We prefer her to be friend. So we call her the queen of Nornheim to stoke her ego and in return she leaves Asgard alone. And one does not arrive at the doorstep of the queen of Nornheim without a gift unless that person wishes to have their head removed from their body."

"Gotcha. So we get her a present and she tells us where this Amora lady is. What kind of gift do you get for a sorceress?"

"A powerful one," said Thor. "Her favorite payment for information is a flower that holds the very essence of fire, the Atall Laufsblad. It literally translates to 'Fierce Leaf'."

Darcy nodded in acknowledgment. She did not catch the apprehensive looks exchanged between Sif and the warriors-three.

x

X

x

Loki awoke in darkness with waves of nausea crashing over him. He moved to feel around his surroundings, but the combination of the movement, nausea, and adrenaline caused him to retch uncontrollably over the side of the bed upon which his captors had lain him.

"The prince awakens," came a voice to his right. A light came on and Loki's eyes closed tight reflexively to shield themselves against the harsh brightness. Loki fought off another wave of nausea that pounded at his skull. He slowly worked them open and found himself staring at a stark-white ceiling in a small prison cell which was walled in by glass on all four sides.

A large, muscular man approached the glass and peered down at Loki's clammy, sheet-white face. The disinterest on his face stood out even more than his reverse mohawk. The bulky man looked behind him at someone that Loki could not see.

Loki tried feverishly to remember what had happened earlier, how he had come to be here. He had felt sick, horribly sick, and then someone had helped him.

Someone had helped him.

Suddenly Loki remembered everything.

He tried to use his magic to burst through the glass cell walls but found that the tendrils of energy that flowed through his mind could not reach beyond the tiny cage in which he found himself. He heaved a shuddering sigh.

"Are you just going to lurk in the shadows as you always have, or will you reveal yourself to me, Amora?" Loki called weakly.

"Is that really how you greet an old friend?" said Amora the Enchantress and indeed she did step out from the shadows. He turned his head slightly and caught sight of her. She was the same as he had remembered: same long, voluminous golden hair, same pretty face framed by a flamboyant green headpiece, same skin-tight green bodysuit and boots, same vain, arrogant smirk.

"When I see an old friend I shall endeavor to show you how I greet them," said Loki, panting with the effort, "Where is Darcy? What have your done with her?"

"Loki Odinson, cavorting with a mortal. I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Your pet human is down in the dungeons with the others until she has served her purpose. And you would do well to mind your manners, serpent. We wouldn't want you to end up like him," Amora said and she nodded her head toward the cell next to him. There was a massive body that lay unmoving on the cell floor.

"If you speak the truth, Enchantress, and you have my betrothed captive in some filthy dungeon, I will end you. Slowly."

"Oh, temper, temper Loki. She is merely collateral. Not a single hair on her head shall be touched if you do better than _he_ did," said Amora, nodding again at the body in the next cell.

"In fact, Skurge, darling," she crooned and ran a finger up the arm of the large man with the reverse mohawk and Loki rolled his eyes when he saw Skurge practically melt at her touch, "Get rid of that big purple wretch for me, would you?"

"Yes, my mistress."

"You have got to be kidding," said Loki. He willed himself to sit halfway upright against the glass wall to confirm his suspicion.

Skurge hoisted the battered and bloody corpse of Thanos the Mad Titan over his shoulder with some difficulty and trudged out of the room with it.

Loki was silent for a moment and heaved a great sigh while Amora watched him, her arms folded.

"Why?"

"Because he didn't play nice," she said simply.

"How long before that idiot out there realizes you're using him until you can finally convince Thor to be with you? That's what all this is about," Loki spat.

The smile trickled away from Amora's face at the mention of Thor.

"Actually that's where you're wrong, Silvertongue. What this is all about -" she paused and drew in a deep breath. "I need your help."

He simply stared at her, an annoyed eyebrow threatening to arch so high as to leave his face. She looked through the glass into his eyes, her face showing a vulnerability that had been hidden for years.

"It's Lorelei, Loki. It has always been Lorelei."

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Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, and review if you are so inclined.

I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	6. Chapter 5

Un-beta'd.

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"This had better work, Stark."

Nick Fury, Phil Coulson Jane, Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and Clint stood around the portal generator while Tony was in the background about to switch on the power. The Avengers were suited up in their full gear to present themselves to Asgard as Earth's mightiest heroes. Jane's apprehension rolled off of her in waves and she took in a deep breath to calm herself.

Everyone in the room heard the machine rumble to life and a deep, low whirring sound steadily became so loud that they all could feel the vibrations through their shoes. Slowly the center of the portal generator turned opaque white, then solid white, then an image slowly spread in the center. Gradually, maddeningly gradually Asgard came into view and set in the dead center of the image was the Asgardian man dressed in gold. Jane was shocked to discover that he met her gaze steadily and for a moment she felt silly looking at him so expectantly. There was no way this man could see her.

And yet he gave her a single nod.

A thrill of excitement coursed through her and without a moment more of hesitation Jane ran through the portal before anyone could stop her. The remaining occupants of the room exchanged looks briefly and Fury rolled his eye. Typical.

"Looks like we're going in after her," he said and turned to Tony. "Stark, since you know how to fix this thing when it breaks you'll need to satay behind in case it closes."  
"Right," said Tony.

Fury blinked once, unable to believe that Tony agreed without a fight but he did not question it. Fury, Phil, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint all walked through the portal, one at a time. After Clint disappeared into the portal Tony looked down at his red-and-gold Iron Man suit and then over at a nearby lab assistant.

"Hey kid!" he called. She looked up from her clipboard. "You see this red button? Push it if this thing turns off, okay?"

The lab assistant was so taken aback that she only nodded dumbly as she watched him stroll casually through the portal.

x

X

x

Darcy hadn't known what to expect on a bona fide rescue mission, but the presence of absolute routine was not what she had had in mind. Darcy and Sif kept up on Darcy's training each morning. The pair would eat, bathe separately from the men, and spend an hour or so simply getting exercise and keeping up on footwork and sparring.

Thor, Darcy, Sif, and the warriors-three traveled through parts of Asgard that Darcy had never even heard of: a marsh that will render one insane if one were to touch any moss that grew there, for example. A few days into their journey they passed a deep lake, and from the water breached something that looked like a small whale.

"A trupheloppe," said Thor.

"It looks like an elephant with fins! They're kinda cute. You guys have mer-elephants? Merlephants?" said Darcy, "That's nuts."  
"Nasty beasts. They slither up on the shore and eat children if they get too close," said Fandral.

"And the bubble is officially burst," commented Darcy and the band rode on, all admiring the sparkling lake in the midday sun.

They rode on in silence for a while longer until Darcy spoke again, "How much longer until Nornheim?"

"Another week or so," answered Sif.

"I'm bored you guys. Entertain me," Darcy said half-jokingly while she steered Domino around a grouping of boulders in the middle of the roadway. She did not expect Fandral to launch into full blown story-mode.

"I have a story that may entertain you, Lady Darcy. When we were young, your betrothed used to join us on all kinds of adventures with us. Once, Lady Sif, the princes, and we warriors-three went exploring in the rocky hills of Vanaheim on a bright summer's day. We found a cluster of caves that Hogun expressed interest in-"

"Come now, Fandral, that is not how it happened!" said Thor with a wide grin, "As I recall, _you_ were hoping to get lost in one of the many caves with Sif and-"

"_Anyway_," continued Fandral while Sif rolled her eyes, "We poked around the entrance of an oddly-shaped cave and discovered a small, dirty door. Loki offered to head inside first and he did, daggers drawn and prepared for anything that may come our way. Inside we were amazed to discover a complicated maze of rooms, all of which seemed to be a shelter for elicit and black market activities. We decided to back away from the discovery slowly before anyone spied us, but a group of roguish ragamuffins happened upon us and brought us to see the man who lead these knaves-"

"-Hold up," interrupted Darcy, "Are you telling me that the aliens took you to see their leader?" asked Darcy with a quirk of a smile playing at her lips.

"Indeed," said Fandral, not understanding what she was getting at but continuing on with the story anyway, "The leader of the ragtag band of men was a great, brutish man and he was partaking in a bit too much-"

"- Ale, wine, Helberry blooms..." Volstagg chimed in.

Fandral grinned. "Aye, he was quite drunk and luckily for us he was in quite a good mood. 'Please me and I shall let you go' he said to us. Now none of us really wanted to know exactly what he meant when he asked us to please him, but Loki took action immediately and drew all eyes in the room to him to get us out of the situation. He conjured a barrel from naught but thin air and jumped atop it, balancing on it as though he had done it for his entire life."

Thor's raucous laughter stopped Fandral from telling his story temporarily while Thor remembered the image of Loki on the barrel, all eyes on him. Thor wiped tears from his eyes and motioned his hand for Fandral to continue with the tale.

"The leader of the rogues seemed amused, but it was not enough and Loki saw it in his face, so Loki began to sing limericks- limericks!" he said and started laughing himself. "Loki picked on the men that brought us to the leader in clever sing-song rhymes, jesting at everything from their noses to the legitimacy of their births. The leader looked much like Thor does now and his face was so red from drink we thought he might fall unconscious right then and there. Loki hopped off of the barrel and took a flourishing bow with a devil's grin and the leader of the rogues clapped, allowing us to leave. We all turned and made our way out of that cave, but at the mouth of the cave we were met by the same band of men."

"They were so furious with Loki's off-color songs about them that-"

"I'm telling this story, Thor," grinned Fandral, "Indeed the men did not take at all kindly to Loki's jests and decided that they did not want the Asgardians to leave unscathed. But we were all in fine form that day and we dispatched of them easily. We left them at the mouth of the cave for their own cohorts to find them after, of course, placing them in same very compromising positions in their unconscious states."

Darcy and the rest of the group were laughing hard by the end of the story. It felt good to have a long laugh after so many days of worrying and feeling stressed about where Loki might be and what could be happening to him. Her smile faded a little as she remembered that Loki was the reason they were all out there to begin with.

"Those were good times," said Thor and he sighed with a smile as he drowned in a flood of good memories, "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me, Darcy Lewis. I thought my brother beyond redemption."

"We all did," said Sif and Volstagg and Fandral nodded. Hogun stayed the same, silent, grim warrior he had been during the entire journey, simply listening to the conversation around him.

"Mother did not," said Thor. The mood of the group had grown less cheery.

"Guys, it's not something I tried to do. It just happened," Darcy explained, and she was silent while she thought for a moment. "He told me one time, when he first started talking to me, that he thought he broke. Just one day something snapped."  
"That's about right," said Thor, "Our father should have told him of his parentage long before that fateful day when we traveled to Jotunheim seeking revenge."

"It wasn't fair," said Sif, "He always knew he was different. We always knew he was different, deep down. We could feel it. But no one ever chipped away at what it was, we let him get more and more distant from us."

Thor's smile was completely gone, replaced instead by a hard, grim line across his lips.

"We should have known."

"Um, guys, how could you have known? Your mom and dad kept that from everyone and no one knew. What could you have done?" Darcy asked as they approached the apex of a large hill on their steeds.

"Of course you are right, Lady Darcy," said Volstagg.

The friends were silent as their weary horses trudged up the unforgiving slant of the hill, but when they reached the top the view took Darcy's breath away.

In the middle of a brilliant green valley a single lake lay that seemed to have warring forces of ice and fire that cut through its center. One half of the lake was a deep crimson and the other a startling, frosty-blue, and where they met in the middle the colors swirled together but never made a shade of purple. The tendrils of color stabbed at one another, trying to gain purchase on each other's side, but where one arm of red made its way onto the blue half, an equal sliver of blue took its place on the red half. The colors then would return to their original places, watching each other, waiting for the moment they could safely strike again.

"It's like a screen saver," breathed Darcy.

"It is truly a sight to behold," said Thor, "Legend holds that this is the birthplace of all the nine realms from Ragnarok."

Darcy blinked. "Ragnarok? Isn't that like the apocalypse?"

"Something like that."

"So the apocalypse already happened?"

"Many legends hold that Ragnarok is simply the end and beginning of a cycle. The nine worlds are reborn and we all live, many many times, changing and growing with each new cycle. I have no doubt that we have all known one another before this time and this place in this universe, Lady Darcy, and I have no doubt that again we shall meet," said Thor.

"That's beautiful, Thor," said Darcy and she blinked away a tear that had formed in the corner of her eye.

The group decided to stop for their midday meal and Darcy gazed upon the breathtaking lake, lost in a deep ocean of thought.

x

X

x

"Welcome to Asgard," said Heimdall.

Jane Foster stared up at him, opening and closing her mouth twice. Her brain was trying to take in everything all at once- the mostly-finished observatory, the sprawling starry universe that surrounded them, the golden castle in the background that loosely reminded her of a church organ.

"Hi," she answered, unsure of what she should do next. She realized that she had thought so long about getting to Asgard that she did not think of what she would do when she actually _got_ there.

"I advised the queen of your coming several days ago and we have summoned guards to escort all of you to the castle," said Heimdall, and she felt is burnt-orange eyes peer into her very soul.

"All of us? Oh, my friends aren't-"

"Doctor Foster!" said Nick Fury's voice from behind her and she winced. She had not actually expected him to come after her. After him came Phil, Steve, and Bruce, who were looking around them with varying degrees of fascination.

"Director Fury," said Jane as she turned toward him, "This is, um..."

"Heimdall, guardian of the Rainbow Bridge," the golden god answered as Natasha and Clint appeared out of thin air in Heimdall's observatory.

"Please excuse us dropping in like this, Mr. Heimdall," said Fury. He looked around at the team and realized that the observatory was beginning to become crowded.

"It is of no concern. The queen awaits your team's arrival as guests of the palace."

At that moment they all noticed several guards in bright golden armor coming down the glittering, almost-repaired Rainbow Bridge. They all looked at one another and slowly began to walk toward the guards, unsure of their own footsteps on the translucent glass-like bridge but picked up the pace as they gained confidence. They had almost reached the guards when heard they heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Tony said as he landed next to Steve and walked with the group.

"Dammit, Stark!" said Fury, "I knew it."

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Thanks for reading! Please favorite, follow, and review if you are so inclined.

I am also on Tumblr and I post updates on all my fanfiction. My username is JessiokaFroka.


	7. Chapter 6

Un-beta'd.

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_Loki awoke in a glassed-in cell with a start, blinking a few times and trying to remember where he was. Recognition at his surroundings crept at the edge of his mind, willing him to recall, but try as he might he could not bring himself to know this place. He studied his surroundings, and although the lights were dim he could make out a small bed in one corner upon which a figure lay. He peered at the unmoving figure and saw a familiar shock of brown hair against pale skin-_

_ Suddenly Loki remembered everything._

_ "Darcy," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and kissing her temple gently. She stirred slightly and he shook her gently, urging her to awaken faster._

_ "Darcy, you must awaken; we must speak, _now_," said he._

_ Her eyes fluttered open and snapped to him. She sat up immediately and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. He returned the embrace and closed his eyes, allowing himself this brief moment of reprieve._

_ "Did she harm you? Are you comfortable wherever she has you locked up?"_

_ Her brows knit together in confusion. "At least I know I'm free," she responded._

_ "Free?" he asked. "You're free?"_

_ "__I travel the world and the seven seas, Loki."_

_ His eyes grew wide with panic. "You're _traveling_? Do not tell me that Thor took you with him on a journey to find me. Darcy, you cannot do that! You must stay at the castle, where it is safe!"_

_ Darcy watched, confused, as Loki spoke gibberish and looked panicked. He registered her confusion and took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself._

_ "I know you don't understand anything I'm saying, but I need you to look," he said, and he pointed to his eyes and then waved a hand at the rest of the room. She followed his hands and took in their surroundings, squinting her eyes in an attempt to see through the dimness. She stood and walked in a circle around the small cell, peering out of the glass into the a stone, circular room. A small window across the room showed nothing but star-lit sky._

_ "The highest room in the tallest tower," whispered Darcy._

_ "Exactly," said Loki, "I also believe I'm being held prisoner in a tower of some kind. Tell my idiot brother where I am and have Sif take you back to the palace."_

_ Darcy let out an exasperated sigh and Loki saw her suddenly freeze and look at something behind him. One of the stars that shone through the window was growing brighter with each passing second and Loki knew that their time together was coming to a close as the brightness increased._

_ "I love you, Darcy," said Loki, knowing that spending time begging her not to come rescue him would be futile. They embraced one another and each could not their eyes off of the previously pinprick-sized speck of light as it grew larger._

x

X

x

Loki awoke in his glassed-in cell with a start, the silence of the night laying over him like a thick, woolen blanket. He swallowed harshly, his throat parched, while he sat up on the uncomfortably small bed. A weak, faint light filtered into the room from a tiny window and a glint of brightness at a corner of his cell caught his eye – on the ground was a plate of food and a tall glass of water. Loki leapt from the bed and barely had the presence of mind to inspect it, but he did, briefly, before gulping down the liquid greedily. He did not touch any of the food, but sat back against the frame of the bed and got his first truly detailed, undisturbed view of the room that contained the cells. It was circular and stone from top to bottom with a table and a couple of chairs across the room from his cell, almost like it was supposed to be a reading room that was clumsily converted to hold two glass prison cells. Not much to work with. Loki sighed and did his best to peer around his cage, inspecting in particular the wall of the cell where the food and water had been sitting. There was a sliver of faded brightness where the walls met one another and Loki ran a fingernail down it – sure enough there was a door. He was not able to open it, but it was something to file away in the back of his mind.

He patted himself – his daggers and vial of poison were gone. He stood and paced the cell briefly before sitting back on his bed, attempting to play with his magic when he heard the sound of rattling at a trapdoor in the floor of the round room. The other cell in the room that had previously contained Thanos blocked his view of the trapdoor so he had been able to tell where the entrance to the room was until just now. He waited for one of his captors to present themselves and was unsurprised when Amora rounded the corner to face him.

"Feeling better?" she asked him in a sing-song voice.

"Much. You've certainly increased your knowledge of poisons, Enchantress. I commend you," said Loki as he studied his captor.

"I have had much time to study the magic arts and the not-so-magical ones as well," she replied while she peered back at him through heavy lashes.

"It was tragic, Amora, what happened to Lorelei-"

"I do not wish to speak of how I lost her, Loki," Amora bit out as a brief, furious rage danced across her face. She took a calming breath and steadied herself, slipping an easy smile back onto her face as she had done so many times before.

"Oh no?" asked Loki. "Then what _do_ you want to speak of Amora? It's clear that I have all day to hear it."

She looked at him silently for a moment and a bright flash of- he did not know what- excitement? Insanity? Flashed in her eyes.

"I wish to speak of how we can bring her back."

x

X

x  
"He's in a tower somewhere," she explained as Thor, Sif, and the warriors-three listened. The band was eating breakfast the next morning and Darcy was excited to finally be able to share a dream with them.

"Were you able to see anything outside? Trees, oceans?" asked Thor. He popped a cherry-like fruit that Volstagg had foraged that morning into his mouth.

"No, we were locked in a cell," she said, "like a jail cell. Except it had all glass walls. For some reason I got the impression that Loki couldn't use his magic inside it."

"That sounds like Asgardian technology, and definitely something Amora would have developed to fit her needs," said Sif which earned nods of agreement from the men. They all rose to stretch from breakfast and continued talking.

"Well I guess some magic can get out if he can reach out and share a space-dream with me. He didn't seem injured, just weak," Darcy said.

"Then our suspicions are now confirmed. She fed him the tainted Everberry," Thor said, his face alight with realization.

Sif and Darcy exchanged looks. Neither of them had the heart to tell him that they had all known this since Loki first was captured. Instead Sif cleared her throat to stifle a laugh and continued with cleaning up their campsite.

The friends saddled up and set out for the morning. Only a few hours into the day's journey Thor pulled to the side of a winding dirt road that forked into two very different paths. One led down a gently sloping valley where the bright sun shone and flowers spring forth uninhibited in the meadows. The other path led up a curving, jagged blackened mountain which Darcy could only describe as "Mount Doom-esque."

"Let me guess," Darcy sighed, "we're going up Satan's Rage Mountain?"

"Yes. The Atall Laufsblad grows atop it. Keep out a wary eye; this mountain is filled with unsavory creatures," Thor warned.

Darcy groaned inwardly as they all followed Thor up the slope of the mountain. They rode in silence, each keeping a staunch eye out for whatever or whomever may be lurking in a blackened crevice or shrub-shrouded nook. After another few hours of riding Thor stopped at the suggestion of Sif who pointed out that they would need decent daylight in order to find suitable camp on the mountain. The last thing they wanted was to take cover in a cave that turned out to be infested with Kreplings.

Sif and Hogun began the fire for their evening meal while Darcy watched the sunset over the valley below. Although her surroundings were blackened and held their own wicked beauty, her eyes sought the bright colors of the rolling meadows and streams of the land. She watched for so long she almost did not notice that the sun had finally sunk below the horizon; rather, the shades of the sky melted into one another from a powder blue to angry pinks and oranges, finally settling on deep purples and navies. She snapped out of her trance when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Lady Darcy," said Volstagg, "Our dinner is prepared."

She smiled sadly from having just come out of a deep thought of Loki and joined them. They all ate quietly and stared into the fire. They all felt their muscles sing with relaxation, and by the time they were done eating they all looked nearly content. Fandral presented a wooden instrument the looked to Darcy like a panflute and began to play a soft melody. They stared into the fire and let themselves be lost and its sound.  
"I feel like I'm gonna fall asleep but it is _way_ too early for that. Does someone want to tell me a story?" Darcy asked. Her eyes were closed as she rested her head against a boulder.  
"I have another tale for you about Loki, if you'd like to hear it," said Thor. Darcy's eyes snapped open and she sat up, smiling.  
"Any dirt I can get," she said.

"Many centuries ago we were celebrating a holiday called Idora-"

"Ah, this one! This one was good," said Volstagg. Sif and Hogan grinned at their own memories of the story they knew that Thor was about to begin.

"Idora is a festival with 10 glorious days of feast and song which includes exchanges of gifts and favors. It is not unlike the winter holidays celebrated on Midgard," Thor explained. "I had not thought too hard about what to get for Loki, but Idora was approaching quickly and I grew apprehensive. You see, Darcy, Loki is a very thoughtful gift giver and I wanted to present to him a gift that I knew would catch his eye. I set out to the forests of Asgard for the day to allow myself the clarity to think, and while I wandered along a stream a glint of something caught my eye. I waded into the waters and dove to the bottom to retrieve whatever it was. I almost drowned trying to get at it but eventually I caught firm hold of it and pulled it up to the surface. In my hand was a gemstone of deepest veridian and I knew that my search was over. I washed the muck off of it to discover that a millennia of water and sediment rolling over its surface had washed away its edges, revealing an oval stone better than any you could find in an elvish bazaar. I dried it, placed it in a pouch on my waist, and made my way home, quite proud of my accomplishment," he said, and Fandral stopped playing his instrument long enough to snicker.

"When I got home," he continued, "I wrapped it in a small gold-and-green box and forgot all about it until the first evening of Idora. The night of that first feast we sat beside our parents at the feasting table and exchanged gifts. He handed me a golden chest wherein lay an enchanted red cloak that was impervious to damage and where; I still wear it to this day," he smiled while he reminisced and unknowingly ran a finger down one hem of the soft cloth.

"And how did he like your present?" asked Darcy.

"He saw the box and gave me a look that clearly said 'Well at least you tried.' I grinned like a child while I watched an open it, and at first I thought he hated it when he saw it. He picked it up and ran it over his palms and looked over at me with what I think was the first impressed expression I've ever seen from him directed toward me. I felt rather proud of myself and we enjoy the rest of our meal. After the feast he fashioned the gemstone into a fine ring and wore it for the rest of the evening. The next day he still wore it at breakfast and even while he was out in the city, and that evening at one of the Idora celebrations Loki was approached by almost every woman there and even some men. He took it all in good stride and if I recall he ended up going up to his bedroom with one of the maidens-"

"Thor!" Sif said, "Darcy doesn't want to hear about that!"

But Darcy only laughed. "I really don't care. I mean before I met Loki I kind of fell out of the promiscuous tree and banged every guy on the way down."

Thor blinked and Fandral stopped playing his panflute momentarily. Sif cleared her throat and Darcy only grinned wider. Finally Thor gave a good-natured and smile and kept on with the story.

"Every night of the festival was like that second night, but peoples' frenzies in Loki's presence began to grow and by the sixth day of Idora Loki could hardly walk around the palace without servants throwing themselves at him. Why, he had more than one marriage proposal in the streets of the city during that time if I recall. It got to the point that Loki could hardly leave his rooms without being accosted by throngs of women and men." Thor said and the whole band was howling with laughter, "I must say, for as sure of himself as Loki can be sometimes I've never seen him more nervous in a crowd than in those few days.

"Finally mother went to visit him in his rooms and she asked what he had done to make it happen and he told her that he knew not. She studied him and spied the ring, asking him where he had obtained it. Of course he told her that I gave it to him and she took the stone from him, inspecting it with her keen eye. 'It is a Lover's Stone,' she told him, 'Something like a love potion' she said. She told him it worked better the more magic power one possessed, which is why it had worked so quickly for him. Of course she knew that he would think that I gave it to him knowing what it was and she explained to him that I had found it. I had told her of it in passing and she did not dwell on it, and mother asked Loki to forgive me since I did not know what it was. He forgave me, but for the next few weeks I kept finding serpents in my bedroom," Thor finished with a smile.

Darcy laughed, still imagining Loki trying to reject marriage proposals from people who are practically strangers. She settled and listened while the Asgardians swapped tales and songs about their youths and she felt a little less like an outsider looking in as the evening passed. She began to feel included.

x

X

x 

"Amora, Lorelei has been dead for centuries."

Loki panted with the effort of speech. His face was still clammy and a sheen of sweat highlighted his forehead and cheeks even in the dim grey light. Loki stared up at her through the glass cell wall and he saw her face fall at the memory.

"And I have felt every lonely minute without her. But there is indeed a way to make it happen," she answered.

Loki stood and crossed his arms, towering over her from behind his cell wall even in his still-weakened state. "Not until you tell me why you killed Thanos."

"And what care you for the fate of the Mad Titan? You thought him dead anyhow," Amora said. She took a few long, graceful steps across the room and picked up a thick book that Loki had not noticed before. He watched her caress its spine gently, lovingly, and filed away that glimmer of information for later.

"What care I for the fate of you and your dead sister? I have a feeling that you do not have Darcy in any dungeon or even in whatever realm we're in. You have no bargaining chips, Enchantress, and I am certainly not one of your many admirers," he sneered at her and she narrowed her eyes.

"Do not think that your magic can save you here, Loki Odinson. I can make you beg and scream just as Thanos did. And it would be in your best interest to at least listen; it might help you get back your lady love after she is done meeting with Karnilla," Amora said, and she smiled wickedly when she saw the color drain from his face. "Ah yes, the benevolent king and queen didn't tell you where I was banished? It matters little. For what it's worth Karnilla tried with me; she really did. But how well will she receive Lady Darcy when Karnilla finds out that she is betrothed to her most hated enemy?" Amora smirked and watched through narrowed eyes for his reaction.

But he did not give her the satisfaction. He kept a resolute poker face, his indifference rolling from him in waves. "It has been a long time since Karnilla and I had our little falling out. And the rest of Asgard calls for the queen of Nornheim to appease her ridiculous ego because of me. Besides, Darcy is with your object of affection, and Karnilla dare not hurt the _almighty king _of Asgard," Loki spat.

"Keep telling yourself that, darling."

"And what do you suppose could bring Lorelei back after all this time, Amora? Even if you could she would not be herself. She was barely a woman when she died," Loki reminded her. He sat back on his bed, leaning against the glass of the wall behind him. Even mild conversation was draining his energy; he could feel Amora's poison was still working itself from his system.

"True, but I have found a way around it. My sweet Skurge brought this to me from deep within the dark mountains of Svartalfsheim," she said and lovingly cradled the tome in her hands.

Loki peered at it more closely. It had a heavy leather cover and some scorched-on markings that he could not translate, but the depiction of the man in the center of the front cover gave it away at once.

"A book on inter-realm travel?" said Loki, and his hoarse laugh gave way to a shaky cough, "You've lost your touch, enchantress. There is a grand new invention called a Bifrost. You should look it up, I heard that even Midgard has one now."

"Not just one-way travel between realms, Loki. This book contains a spell that allows one to pick out a specific soul in Hel and recall it," she said, and her face appeared not unlike a rather pleased cat.

Loki uncrossed his arms and his eyes went blank for a moment.

"Impossible," Loki whispered.

"That's what I thought, too, at first," Amora replied. She opened the book and flipped nonchalantly through its pages, "but no, it's definitely possible. I simply don't have enough power on my own to bring her back, which is why I need you."

Loki arched an eyebrow and glared at her through the glass, the shadows under his eyes deeper than usual. "And you thought that poisoning me and dragging me out to where ever we are would convince me to help you? I don't buy it, Amora that is not your end game."

Amora smiled sheepishly at him while she thought over her response. "You were right, you know," she said. "I have always wanted Thor. And yes, you are convenient bait to lure him here to me. I need your power temporarily, Loki. But for what it's worth I had planned on letting you go this entire time. "

"Oh, like you let Thanos go?"

"Thanos fought me every step of the way. I told him why I needed his help and he not only insulted me but insulted my sweet deceased sister. I got a little angry," she admitted. "Besides, isn't temporary insanity a defense on your precious Midgard?"

"It's not my precious Midgard. That my love hails from it means little at all to me," Loki lied. "And you would do well to mind your tongue in front of Thor about Midgard. It's _his_ pet realm, didn't you know?"

Her face darkened. She knew.

She knew why as well.

"Either way," she shrugged, "Think on it, Odinson. The faster you do the sooner you can get out of here, and maybe even reach little Darcy in time to save her from Karnilla's wrath. You _do_ recall how wrathful she can be, don't you?"

He did.

x

X

x

The following morning Darcy awoke slowly and comfortably. She slipped off her socks and allowed the chill of morning air in the shadow of the towering black mountain to touch her feet, wriggling her toes in a decadent stretch. She looked around to find everyone but one member of the party sleeping. Hogun was sitting on a boulder, staring silently upon the valley below where the rising sun already touched the rolling hills. His hair was down around his shoulders blowing lightly in the breeze. In the bleak shadow of the west side of the mountain, Hogun looked almost to be a stone statue, guarding over all.

Darcy arose and wrapped her blanket around herself, padding over to Hogun and plopping down next to him.

"Mornin'" she said. He gave her a nod of greeting.

"So what's your story?" she asked, "You're always so quiet."

Hogun smiled and continued to look out onto the bright green valley. "One can learn much by simply listening."

"Gotcha. The strong and silent type, that's rad. How long have you been awake?"

"For four hours now. Volstagg, Fandral, Sif, and I watched the camp in shifts."

"Thanks, that was really nice of you. Sif said that there are some scary creatures on this mountain but I haven't seen anything at all. I feel like I'm walking on pins and needles waiting for something to jump out at me but nothing has yet," Darcy said as she rearranged her blanket around herself.

"We had a few wolves so far, but nothing we cannot handle. No, the more ferocious of the beasts live toward the middle and top of this peak. Many of them are venomous, so we must all maintain constant vigilance," he told her.

"Okay Mad-Eye," she smiled, and he gave her a sideways look of incomprehension. "Hey, Sif's not up yet. You want to spar with me so I can get my practice out of the way?"

His answer came in the form of him knocking her backwards off of the boulder, catching her completely off guard. She let out a small squeak of surprise but caught herself after she flipped backwards once, not caring that her thin night clothes were letting in chilly morning air. She got to her feet immediately and moved backwards toward her sword, adrenaline pumping, but Hogun was already on his feet and advancing. Soon he had his own sword out and as Darcy reached down to get her sword off of her small pile of personal things he slashed at her hand, missing but causing it to automatically pull back towards herself. Hogun smiled as he slid the tip of his sword under the hilt of Darcy's sword and with a flick of his wrist, freed it from its sheath. Darcy's sword sailed in a high arc towards her. She was able to grab the hilt of the sword before it touched the ground.

"You should have your sword in hand whenever you issue a challenge, Lady Darcy," he said, advancing again. This time she was ready.

Darcy stepped lightly over the obstacles laying around the camp haphazardly. She made her way away from the camp so that their sparring would not awaken anyone. She dodged thrusts and was able to come back a couple of times with her own slashes. She found that her fighting style had changed from what she was used to without any of her armor. She had to think more about how she moved her sword since it could leave her vulnerable, but she also had a greater range of motion and was lighter on her feet.

Back and forth they went and Darcy knew that Hogun was going easy on her. He was a skilled warrior, practiced over the course of centuries, but he was also a good teacher and seemed to know exactly how to push her to discover and work upon her own weaknesses. After an hour they were done, shaking hands and heading back to the campsite where the others had all awakened and were dressed.

After a breakfast of fowl that Fandral had caught and fruits that Volstagg gathered, they were off, headed again up the mountain. They made excellent time in the deeply chilled shade of the mountain, but as the sun crawled higher in the sky Darcy mentioned to Sif that their horses had begun to sweat in an almost froth-like way around their necks.

"They need to rest," said Sif.

"Aye. We've ridden them for days with naught but the night to sleep," Thor agreed, "But we're very nearly to the upper-middle of the mountain. They can stand a few more hours. These beasts are strong Asgardian steeds."

The winding path up the mountain became increasingly narrow. By the time they reached the mouth of a cave they were all riding single-file, so they ended the day's ride right then and there and took shelter for the night in the large cave. Volstagg, Fandral, Hogun, and Thor went inside to clear it of possible threats while Sif and Darcy stayed with the horses to ensure that nothing attacked the exhausted animals.

Thor returned after quite some time to give Darcy and Sif the all-clear and they led the steeds into the cave for their safety so that they could truly rest peacefully.

"That took longer than I expected," Sif said while she, Darcy, and Thor traversed the cave.

"It was just as we expected," answered Thor, "The place was crawling with Kreplings."

"Is it safe to assume that they're all taken care of?" Sif asked. They reached the other half of their party and got her answer simultaneously. Hogun, Volstagg, and Fandral were setting up sleeping areas and in one nook of the cave was a pile of small, twitching bodies. One of the largest ones lay atop of the pile and Darcy was able to get a good look at it in the dim light- they appeared to be winged snakes with horns, only their teeth were about three times as large as any snake's Darcy had ever seen.

It was still early in the evening so the band settled toward the front of the cave for better light. They roasted a larger dinner than usual to break up the monotony that dinner was slowly becoming and they all ate their fill. After their meal Fandral broke out a skein of Asgardian Ale and a dice game, which Darcy eyed with a wary delight. Fandral offered to teach her to play and she accepted, so they all passed around the skein while they played a few rounds of a game called 'Horses and Heathens' before dousing the fire and calling it a night.

Darcy was pleased the next morning when Thor mentioned that it was their last day on the mountain, if all went well. They set out early after a light breakfast and the horses were refreshed and responsive. The winding pathways up the peak became even narrower and dramatically steeper, and soon they all continued their journey on foot after securing the horses in a safe, open area.

Up, up, up they climbed and Darcy ran into Thor's back when he stopped suddenly. They had come across a cluster of boulders and there, atop of largest one in the middle, was a bright red flower that seemed to be made of flames. Thor turned to Darcy slowly and placed a finger to his lips and then pointed down into the crevices of the boulders. Darcy saw something that looked like grey-blue skin on the ground instead of the dirt that should have been there and suddenly she felt the ground shift beneath her. Sif pulled her back to steady land as Thor jumped from boulder to boulder toward the prize at the middle and Darcy realized that the cluster of rocks were not rocks at all; rather, rock-like armor atop a gargantuan monster.

A monster that they had just awakened.

Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg, Sif, and Darcy all drew their swords in unison and watched while the creature rose from its slumber. It had four meaty legs, stony armor up and down its gigantic body, and a tiny head with beady black eyes that seemed almost to disappear in its face. It looked by all accounts like an enormous blueish stegosaurus.

Until you got to its teeth.

It whole mouth seemed to be made almost entirely out of rows upon rows of teeth. It salivated everywhere and its jaw was almost sickeningly unhinged, so full was it of needle-sharp fangs. It roared with annoyance as Thor jumped across its back and he had to grab hold of a boulder to keep himself from being thrown off. The monster reared its head at the company and they slashed at it, each able to draw thick black blood from its feet and ankles, causing it to limp. It stomped toward them and Thor finally had Mjolnir out, using it to fly to the flower. He secured it and rushed to the ground below to assist his friends who were busy trying to avoid becoming the giant's lunch. Thor landed and launched Mjolnir at its mass, knocking it backwards into the wall of the highest peak of the mountain and stunning the creature.

Darcy's sword was still drawn and she was prepared for more battle when she felt two hands dragging her backwards.

"Hey!" she shouted. Now that she was in the action she fought the hands off to stay in the fight. She glanced behind her and saw that Volstagg and Hogun were the culprits.

"The others will finish off the Jotuntonn, Lady Darcy," said Volstagg, "They can take a hit or bite from it. You can't!"

"But-"

Darcy's words were caught in her throat as she saw Thor's in the air above her. He was staring at something and the look on his face made her heart stop - it held heartbreaking anguish and her eyes immediately shot to the monster.

It was chewing on something.

Volstagg and Hogun noticed that Darcy stopped fighting them and they followed her gaze to what had caught her attention and they both froze in unison. They let her go and ran at the monster and to Darcy everything seemed to be in slow motion while her brain processed what she was seeing. She took a head count- Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, Thor...

Sif.

Sif was missing.

The warriors let out furious battle cries and united in their affront on the beast, who had finally swallowed. Each warrior unleashed all they had and within a scant minute the creature was slain. The warriors looked around at one another as though they were baffled, unsure if it had really happened and unsure of what to do now.

Fat, hot tears poured down Darcy's face as she trudged numbly to the remaining warriors. Their heads were bowed in sorrow and out of the corner of Darcy's eye she saw the beast twitch.

"Guys," Darcy sniffed. They looked to her and she pointed. It twitched again.

Their weapons were drawn again, heavy as they were in their hands, the weight of a hundred battles and fallen comrades-in-arms making itself apparent in the weary Asgardians. They all approached the beast's fallen body when suddenly a glittering silver sword burst out of it, through its center, slicing a clean line down its middle.

Sif tumbled out of the belly of the monster and she sucked in a greedy gulp of clean air. The party cheered and Sif grinned as she tried to wipe off sticky grey slime from her body.

"You thought I wouldn't make it out?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

Thor wiped away tears and dropped Mjolnir, embracing her in a crushing hug. "It _did_ have a lot of teeth."

"I noticed," she said and she glanced toward her left ankle. A hideous puncture had torn the flesh but did not seem to have hit any bone. Sif sat on the ground and Fandral handed her a clean handkerchief for her wound.

After Sif was finished tending to her wound Darcy approached her and hugged her hard before Sif had a chance to avoid the show of affection. After the briefest of pauses Sif hugged her back and the party helped one another back down the mountain toward the horses.

"Wait, wait, I have a question," said Darcy as they made their way down the steep, rocky path, "Why the hell didn't Thor just fly up to the top of the stupid mountain and get the stupid flower to begin with?"

Thor grinned. "I've never actually had to retrieve one before. None of us knew what to expect when we reached it and I did not know if I could handle whatever it might be by myself."

"Thankfully we had Sif around to distract the Jotuntonn long enough to get a few good hits in," said Fandral with a grin. Sif let a small smile play at her lips.

They reached the horses and began to ride immediately back down the mountain. The trip going down was much faster than it had been going up and the group was in such high spirits that they did not even mind riding straight through lunch. At the bottom of the peak that evening, though, the adrenaline had worn off. The band ate and rested, exhausted from the day's events. Sif applied some ointment to her wound, which had already begun to heal, and turned in early.

The next morning the party set out early again. Not one of them was anxious to spend any more time on the blackened mountain and there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief when they made it to the base in a couple of short hours.

When they reached the beautiful green valley they slowed their pace for Sif's wounded leg, and when they reached a crystal clear stream they all stopped to eat lunch and bathe. Darcy helped Sif lower herself into a crystal hot spring they had found and Darcy washed both of their clothes while they had access to clean water.

"The last thing we need is for that to get all infected and icky," said Darcy as she gingerly pulled off Sif's boot for her. Sif winced with the feeling of the dirty cloth boot being pulled off of raw, barely-healed flesh but was glad for the assistance.

After they were done washing Darcy helped Sif get back to the horses, Thor, and the warriors-three, who had also just freshly bathed. They took up the saddle again and headed over the rollings hills of the valley, ending their day finally at the beginning of a thick, heavy forest. It took a full day to get through the forest and another to cross an enormous span of fields, but when they reached the and of that span they found themselves at the top of a peak that looked down into Nornheim itself.

"Wow," Darcy breathed as she looked down into the valley between the crags. If the journey so far had been dotted with colorful scenery it was nothing compared to the valleys and mountains of Nornheim. The mountains themselves were a deep purple hue with a dusting of white-purple snow at the tops of the highest peaks. The sinking sun hit the valley at an angle, setting the mountains alight with bright pinks and fiery reds that made it seem as though the rocks themselves held the colors naturally.

But the valley of Nornheim itself was a sight to behold.

Lavender-colored flowers overtook the bottom portions of the mountain and one could hardly see the black path that led from the steep crags to the fields below for the bright flowers that grew over every available surface. The lavenders melted into luxurious fields of blue-green grass that then faded into fields of pastel yellow grass, and just beyond those grasses was a tiny hamlet hamlet nestled within the loving arms of the valley. A silent, shallow lake lay just beyond the hamlet and from what could be seen it looked as though the bottom of the lake was filled with millions of tiny rocks of every color. The setting sun added the final touch on the backdrop of the breathtaking scene while bright blue puffy clouds made the perfect pockets for the sun's rays to shine through.

"It is something," Thor said as if to himself, but Darcy heard it and caught his eye.

"I've never seen anything like this," she said, her eyes alight with awe. Her fingers instinctively touched the ring on her left hand and her smile fell; she felt the hole in her heart widen a little.

Thor gave her a sad smile. "You and your love will be together again soon, Lady Darcy."

Darcy looked back at the rest of the group while they set up camp and she motioned for Thor to follow her away from the camp so that they could speak privately.

"I never thought I would be this person," she blurted out.

Thor gave her a quizzical look. "What person?"

"You know, the person who feels like they're not whole without their boyfriend or husband or whatever," she said. Thor watched her face as she wrestled with what it meant to her.

"It is one thing to hear about great love, Darcy. We grow up hearing tales about it, and we can even see it every single day between two people. But we still never fully understand what it truly means until we feel it for ourselves. Between you and me, there is a reason why some people refer to their partner as their 'other half'. It is because we do not feel whole without them any longer after their lives have brushed against our own. After you have shared a bond, a connection, like yours and Loki's or mine and Jane's, even a bond that seems to make no sense to those on the outside looking in, you will never be the same again. We all think that we're fine on our own, that we are whole, until we meet the person who shows us how truly wrong we were," Thor said and he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I know," she whispered, "I know you're right. It's just that... I've never felt so _alone_. Even though I'm right here with all of you, I feel like I'm... I don't know... missing something."

"And you will feel that way until you are together once more. I have not seen Jane for two years, now, and when Heimdall told me Jane and the other warriors were coming to Asgard just before we left on our journey, it shattered my heart to pieces when I realized we had to leave before they arrived."

"Wait, wait, wait- what? Jane's in Asgard now?" Darcy asked, her tone no longer broken but rather strong.

"Well yes. It was only a matter of time before Jane had Midgard's Bifrost repaired."

"And you knew she was coming?"

"Indeed."

"You jerk!" she said and placed her hands on her hips, "You know if Loki did that to me I would freakin' _throttle him?_ Do you have any idea how long she worked on that? How hard she worked to get here? And how much she missed you? And you knew she was coming and you left on a rescue mission just before she arrived? Oh my god, Thor, what the hell?"

"Darcy, I-"

"She is going to _kill _you when you get home!"

"Darcy, I know. I couldn't bear to see her after so long and then have to immediately leave her," said Thor and he hung his head.

She opened her mouth to retort but she did not allow another sound to pass her lips. She couldn't berate him any more about it; he was like a sad little puppy. She sighed and looked up to the sky as if to ask for some divine assistance before she threw her arms around Thor.

"There, there, big guy. We'll be home soon."

"Thank you, Darcy. And soon we will find my brother and we shall all journey home together."

"Yeah, what you said," she responded and smiled her first truly happy smile that day.

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